Taiwan begins building anti-submarine frigate

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — Taiwan’s largest private shipbuilder has started building an anti-submarine warfare frigate expected to relieve stress on the fleet.

The construction comes as China continues growing its naval force, which includes 48 diesel-electric and 12 nuclear-powered submarines, according to a Pentagon report . The submarine force is expected to grow to 65 boats by 2025 and 80 by 2035, the report noted. China considers Taiwan a rogue province and has threatened to take it back by force.

In total, Taiwan plans to acquire a dozen light frigates — six for anti-submarine warfare and six for anti-air warfare — to replace already-decommissioned Knox-class frigates. The island nation’s naval fleet carries out missions in the Taiwan Strait, including patrol, surveillance, offshore-island transportation and escort, maintenance of maritime communication lines, and training support.

Jong Shyn Shipbuilding held a ceremony Jan. 16 in Kaohsiung to mark the beginning of construction. The company had signed a contract on May 12, 2023, and began constructing one of the anti-air warfare frigates on Nov. 17, 2023.

The shipyard is expected to complete both vessels by October 2026, which will serve as prototypes before follow-on frigates are built.

According to a 2022 budget allocation, Taiwan plans to spend NT$24.6 billion (U.S. $777.7 million) for these two so-called new-generation light frigates, instead of previously planned heavy frigates.

“In order to strengthen its sea control capabilities, the Navy originally planned to build a new-generation missile frigate under the code name Project Zhenhai. Later ... it switched to a new-generation light frigate with a smaller tonnage,” according to the government-run Central News Agency.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry declined to release the ships’ specifications to Defense News, but local media reported the vessels will likely displace nearly 3,000 tons and measure approximately 115 meters in length.

The government’s renderings show the anti-submarine warfare variant does not use vertical launching systems like the anti-air warfare type. Instead, the former boasts a towed-array sonar and two triple-torpedo launchers. Its phased-array radar appears to be BAE Systems’ Artisan offering.

Other armaments include eight deck-mounted launchers for Hsiung Feng II/III anti-ship missiles and TC-2N surface-to-air missiles. There is also an OTO Melara 76mm naval gun and two 30mm remote weapon stations.

Jong Shyn Shipbuilding has considerable experience constructing vessels for Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration, including 3,000-ton cutters, but it does not have as much of a background in building ships for the Navy.

“They have the capability to make surface ships. This is OK, but we do not have the capability to integrate the weapons, sensors and all the systems integration,” Chen Kuo-ming, a Taipei-based defense analyst, told Defense News.

Gordon Arthur is an Asia correspondent for Defense News. After a 20-year stint working in Hong Kong, he now resides in New Zealand. He has attended military exercises and defense exhibitions in about 20 countries around the Asia-Pacific region.

新西兰基督城——台湾最大的民营造船企业已开始建造一艘反潜护卫舰，预计将缓解舰队的压力。

据五角大楼报告显示，中国正在持续扩充海军力量，目前已拥有48艘柴电潜艇和12艘核动力潜艇。报告指出，预计到2025年，中国潜艇数量将增至65艘，到2035年将增至80艘。中国视台湾为叛离省份，并威胁要武力收复。

台湾计划总共采购十二艘轻型护卫舰——六艘用于反潜作战，六艘用于防空作战——以替换已退役的诺克斯级护卫舰。台湾海军舰队在台湾海峡执行巡逻、监视、离岛运输和护航、维护海上通信线路以及训练支援等任务。

1月16日，宗信造船在高雄举行仪式，标志着该项目正式开工。该公司于2023年5月12日签署合同，并于2023年11月17日开始建造其中一艘防空护卫舰。

预计造船厂将于 2026 年 10 月完成这两艘舰艇的建造，它们将作为后续护卫舰建造前的原型舰。

根据 2022 年的预算拨款，台湾计划花费 246 亿新台币（7.777 亿美元）建造这两艘所谓的新一代轻型护卫舰，而不是之前计划建造的重型护卫舰。

据官方中央通讯社报道，“为了加强海上控制能力，海军最初计划建造代号为‘镇海’的新一代导弹护卫舰。后来……改建为吨位较小的新一代轻型护卫舰。”

台湾国防部拒绝向《防务新闻》透露这些舰艇的具体规格，但当地媒体报道称，这些舰艇的排水量可能接近3000吨，长度约为115米。

政府公布的效果图显示，反潜型导弹并未像防空型那样采用垂直发射系统。相反，它配备了拖曳式声呐和两座三联装鱼雷发射器。其相控阵雷达似乎是英国航空航天系统公司（BAE Systems）的“匠人”（Artisan）雷达。

其他武器装备包括八座舰载雄风二型/三型反舰导弹和TC-2N舰空导弹发射器，以及一门奥托梅莱拉76毫米舰炮和两座30毫米遥控武器站。

宗信造船在为台湾海巡署建造舰艇方面拥有丰富的经验，包括3000吨级的巡逻艇，但在为海军建造舰艇方面却缺乏经验。

“他们有能力制造水面舰艇。这没问题，但我们没有能力整合武器、传感器和所有系统，”台北国防分析师陈国明告诉《防务新闻》。

戈登·阿瑟是《防务新闻》的亚洲特派记者。在香港工作20年后，他现居新西兰。他曾到访亚太地区约20个国家，参加过军事演习和防务展览。