Political Warfare Bureau,M.N.D.PostDate: 2021/07/27

The first "Ta Chiang" vessel – The subsequent fleet of high-performance warships was handed over.A brand-new milestone of naval combat power.
Reported by: Military News Agency

Reporter: Chou Li-xing

Yilan, 27th July

The ceremony was held in the morning at Lun Teh Shipbuilding Yard of Suao, Yilan. The Yilan County Mayor, Lin Zi-miao, Legislator Wang Ding-yu, Chen Ou-po and others were invited to the grand event to witness this great naval achievement. Chang Chong-cheng, President of the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST), handed over the delivery certificate to the Navy Commander, General Liu Chi-bin, and presented a model Ta Chiang warship. Later, Minister Chiu awarded the naval flag to the first captain, Major Liu. The Ta Chiang warship was formally handed over to the Navy and is now a force in the defense of our waters.

In his speech, Minister Chiu first expressed his sincere gratitude to the project team members of the Navy, CSIST, and Lung Teh Company for their uninterrupted collaboration and full support of the domestic shipbuilding industry. Minister Chiu said the excellent results and smooth delivery of the Ta Chiang warship could not have been possible without everyone's hard work and dedication. It also symbolizes the combat power of our Navy which has reached a new milestone.



Minister Chiu pointed out that the warship was personally named by the commanders-in-chief of the three armed forces, President Tsai, after the Tawa River in Taitung County. The Tawa River is considered an area of livelihood by ​​the aboriginal Paiwan tribe who are noted for their fearless spirit when faced with difficulty, and bravery and skill in combat. The president named the warship after a feature of Taiwan to remind all servicemen who grow up on this land to take on responsibility and stand at the fore to safeguard democracy and freedom. As such, servicemen must bear this important task and become the maritime fortress and lighthouse of Taiwan, guarding the borders of the Republic of China.　

Minister Chiu further added that the word "tower" also represents the hardship of our "indigenous shipbuilding" work, and only by accumulating each grain of sand to build a tower can we build excellent ships that meet the expectations of our nationals to defend the Republic of China. The Ta Chiang warship is not only equipped with excellent firepower and high maneuverability, but also has quick execution capabilities in attack missions. It has also been further refined and modified to improve navigation stability and concealment after the design basis of the Tou River-class corvette, not to mention its TC-2 air defense missile. She is not only the first small vessel with regional air defense firepower in the Navy's possession, but has also become a key part combat of capabilities of the Armed Forces to effectively carry out its mission of "defending tenaciously, and continually deterring."



Minister Chiu indicated that autonomous national defense has always been an important policy of our country. The implementation of the two benchmarking projects of "Indigenous Shipbuilding" and "Indigenous Jet-plane Manufacturing" is President Tsai's top concern in military build-up. Nonetheless, it is not a simple task. The shipbuilding industry is actually more than just a comprehensive industry; the construction of warships also involves integrated technologies in many fields such as battle systems and combat systems. Lung Teh Company, which is responsible for the construction of the "Ta Chiang Warship", has been regarded as a driving force of innovation and technological advancement after it undertook the contract, and every employee accepts the challenge with great enthusiasm. Furthermore, every step they take drives quality shipbuilding, making Lung Teh Company a model of development for defense industry.　

Minister Chiu stressed that the task of military build-up for national defense is tough, long, and demanding and can hardly be completed overnight. There is no such as things as low-cost national defense. The delivery ceremony of the Ta Chiang warship has not only demonstrated to our nationals the determination of the Armed Forces to defend the waters and territories, but also demonstrates how autonomous national defense policies have developed and helped boost industrial economic growth and innovative technologies, helping the industry breakthrough and maintain competitiveness in the face of adversity. This is considered a triple-win as it has enhanced the combat power of the Armed Forces, strengthened R&D energy and promoted industrial development.

　

Minister Chiu has encouraged all servicemen who are to take over the Ta Chiang warship that fighting against the epidemic and defending the nation against the enemy are major tasks of the Armed Forces now. Faced with diverse and complex challenges, all must be prepared to continue strengthening various training tasks of combat readiness, and upholding the principle of "hoping for the best, but being prepared". Most of all, servicemen should train to improve, remain effective through training and exercises, and work together to contribute to the safety of the country and society, thus providing the strongest and most powerful guarantee to our country and nationals.

　

Naval Command stated that the Ministry of National Defense (MND) and CSIST have adopted a full case commissioning model. In response to the dramatic increase of threats from the enemy, the shipbuilding schedule has been accelerated to enhance the naval defense force. During the construction period, epidemic prevention regulations were followed as divisions were adopted. The use of time-sharing construction significantly advanced the delivery schedule by five months. In the future, the project will complete combat readiness as scheduled, to the expected quality standards and budget and incorporate the vessels into the naval forces. Most of all, the Navy will continue to uphold a prudent and rigorous attitude toward risk control and implement the policy of local vessel building, and calls on nationals for their continued support.

The Ta Chiang warship has both powerful firepower and high mobility. Photographed by Chou Li-Xing from Military News Agency)