Taiwan Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

I've deleted quite a number of posts from the last week.

Thread reopened.

This subforum is not technically part of the main "military sections" and and the nature of this topic itself means there will be political discussions involved, but that doesn't mean it can't be polite and not descend to hurling personal attacks at each other and using gratuitous emojis to convey your own feelings.

Temstar said:

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Taiwan's new proposed LHA, 22,000 tons, 30 knots. Apparently the idea is for this thing to mount a counterattack in the event of PLA takeover of Taiwan's outlying islands.

It's a shame they didn't just come out and say it would lead a counterattack on the mainland itself like 校長 wanted.

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The ROCN should have just bought another LPD instead (at least the LPD can do the same peacetime missions, and cheaper).

Granted, neither the LPD or LHD have any utility in the event of war.

Skywatcher said:

The ROCN should have just bought another LPD instead (at least the LPD can do the same peacetime missions, and cheaper).

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You might have known that already but they're currently building a LPD. I don't think that the LHA plan has been formally authorised or budgeted. It might be like those proposals for large destroyers that didn't go anywhere.

Mr T said:

You might have known that already but they're currently building a LPD. I don't think that the LHA plan has been formally authorised or budgeted. It might be like those proposals for large destroyers that didn't go anywhere.

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Yep, hence another.

Interestingly, the CSBC (sp?) shareholder presentation didn't mention anything about the DDG, so looks like sanity has prevailed.

Skywatcher said:

Yep, hence another.

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Ok, I was just checking. They might build another in the future if the first is a success. I think the fact they've gone for a reasonably sized LPD instead of a larger ship shows they've got the right idea.

Interestingly, the CSBC (sp?) shareholder presentation didn't mention anything about the DDG, so looks like sanity has prevailed.

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Yeah, I didn't think it was a serious plan.

If you want to see what the priority is, you can see it from the new Tuo Chiang corvettes they're building as well as the Anping coastguard ships that conveniently are fitted for (but not with) HF-IIs and HF-IIIs.

The Coast Guard of Taiwan has just recently received its first patrol vessel An-Ping (安平) belonging to the new class of CG patrol vessels (the English Wiki calls it An-Ping class but from what I know the new class of patrol vessels hasn't been officially named yet).





The most noteworthy aspect of the new class of patrol vessels are the reserved positions for a total of 16 HF-2 and HF-3 AShMs. Though the patrol vessel itself isn't fitted out with search and guidance electronic suites needed for anti-ship duties, the missiles can still be guided by fellow Navy warships.

Another interesting aspect of the new class of patrol vessels is that instead of having a main gun, it has a indigenous 42-round rocket launcher instead. The launcher is composed of 6 7-shot rocket pods and fires Hydra-70 rockets. Although the rockets are currently unguided, the Taiwanese CG is hoping to introduce laser-guidance kits (APKWS) for their rockets. The rockets can be mounted with either high-explosive, anti-personnel, HEAT or illumination warheads. Apart from the rocket launcher, the vessel is also armed with a 20mm autocannon (currently still unclear if automated or manual).

CGI renditions of the new Taiwanese Navy rapid mine-laying vessel and new class of corvette developed from the Tuo-Chiang prototype (the first ship is officially named Ta Chiang)

The Tuo Jiang should have just been a 1.000 ton monohull corvette (they can go pretty fast, see the Scandinavian ones), since mounting the ship's machinery that high above the waterline is just asking for a damage control nightmare.

Honestly, I don't see the point in replacing the 76mm with a bunch of 70mm rockets, laser guided or not. If you really want 70mm rocket pods that badly, just add on some pods elsewhere on the ship.

Some photos of the new rapid mine-laying vessel and the new corvette:

Mine-laying vessel:



Armament: 1 manual 20mm autocannon + 2 7.62 machine guns + automated mine-laying system

Skywatcher said:

The Tuo Jiang should have just been a 1.000 ton monohull corvette (they can go pretty fast, see the Scandinavian ones), since mounting the ship's machinery that high above the waterline is just asking for a damage control nightmare.

Honestly, I don't see the point in replacing the 76mm with a bunch of 70mm rockets, laser guided or not. If you really want 70mm rocket pods that badly, just add on some pods elsewhere on the ship.

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They are using rocket pods not because they want to, it is because they don't have a choice. In the past the Taiwanese CG would apply for spare guns from the Taiwanese Navy to mount onto their CG vessels, but since the Taiwanese Navy don't have spare guns to lend to the CG anymore (nor can the Taiwanese govt afford to purchase new guns from the West since Taiwan itself can't produce any guns above 20mm and 20mm is just too puny for CG patrol duties) the CG has no choice but to use rockets instead.