YILAN (TVBS News) — President Tsai Ing-wen attended the handover ceremony of the final two of the first batch of Tuo Chiang-class corvettes produced in Yilan on Tuesday (March 26), marking a significant milestone in Taiwan's naval capabilities.
The corvettes, the first of their kind to possess regional air defense firepower, are the most powerful warships of their tonnage.
President Tsai, who named the first high-performance warship "Ta Chiang" four years ago, symbolizing the national shipbuilding effort, was present at the ceremony alongside Minister of Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng, Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Council Feng Shih-kuan, and Yilan County Magistrate Lin Zi-miao.
Tsai stated that the production of the warships has been accelerated, with completion moved up from the originally planned 2025.
Earlier this month, the handover of the fourth Tuo Chiang-class missile corvette, Wu Jiang, took place at the Lung Teh Shipyard in Suao.
Today's ceremony for the fifth and sixth ships, An Jiang and Wan Jiang, completed the first batch of six vessels. President Tsai Ing-wen emphasized that these achievements demonstrate Taiwan's capacity for independent shipbuilding and its commitment to protecting democracy and freedom.
Tsai noted that the high-performance vessels not only have stealth capabilities and stable navigation but also represent the navy's first small ships with air defense capabilities.
Now that all six ships of the first batch have been delivered, they will not only replace the soon-to-be-decommissioned Ching Chiang-class ships but also enhance vessel performance and provide a safer working environment for military personnel.
She further thanked the teams from the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science & Technology (NCSIST) and Lung Teh Shipyard for their efforts, which have led to the upgrading of the "national shipbuilding" related industries, the promotion of national defense technology development, and the continuous improvement of national defense strength and resilience, as well as expressing gratitude for the hard work and dedication of naval personnel.