USNI News
Taipei will construct 10 light frigates for air defense and anti-submarine missions between 2028 and 2040, according to recently released procurement documents.
The procurement of the 2,500-ton warships is a key priority for Taiwan in the coming years with the anti-air and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) projects taking up $7.8 billion of the $9.9 billion in funds slated for six major shipbuilding programs identified by the country’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) last week.
Five frigates will be constructed for anti-aircraft missions, and the other five will focus on anti-submarine missions. The 10 light frigates follow the construction of two warships for each configuration beginning in 2023 and 2024. Alongside the light frigates, the Republic of China Navy (ROCN) is looking to procure a submarine rescue ship, one fast combat support ship, two rescue vessels and a 10,600-ton amphibious assault vessel.
The light frigates the ROCN will procure are based on the Gibbs & Cox international frigate design, but the design was modified for Taiwanese demands. According to the Taiwan Ministry of Defense, the air defense variant will have a length of 96 meters, a beam of 21 meters and a 3.3-meter draft. The ASW variant will have differing dimensions – a length of 116 meters, a beam of 21 meters and a draft of 3.3 meters.
Taiwan is in the process of retiring its Cold War-era Knox-class frigates and aims to equip its fleet against a potential Chinese invasion.