Armée Taiwanaise / Republic of China Armed Forces(ROCAF)

Citation :

ROC Navy Catamaran Corvette "Tuo River", first Taiwanese LCS, started Sea Trials


Taiwan's first vessel in a new class of 12 catamaran corvettes started its trials at sea. The "Tuo River" was going out at sea for the first time from Suao in northeastern Taiwan's Yilan county, where it was christened in March this year. The corvette will undergo a series of sea trials before its commissioning expected in the first half of 2015.



This new vessel project was first unveiled during TADTE 2013, the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition, in August 2013. The corvette was built by the Lung-De Shipbuilding Corporation under the "Swift Sea" program.

With a length of 60.4 meters this corvette size vessel is designed for littoral operations. A sign on display at the show indicated:
"In order to face the increasing threat across the Taiwan Strait, ROC Navy has developed a new type of Littoral Combat Ship, High Efficiency Wave Piercing Catamaran (WPC). This ship design increases ship mobility, and provides for greater stealth technology, larger capacity, and better adaptability to environmental conditions. This new class of ships is designed by Naval Shipbuilding Development Center (NSDC) and Ship Ocean Industries R&D Center (SOIC). The High Efficiency Wave Piercing Catamaran (WPC) is currently under construction by the Lund-De Shipbuilding Corporation."



This Taiwanese "Littoral Combat Ship" is heavily armed for its size as it is fitted with no less than 16 anti-ship missiles. Representatives at the show said the catamaran corvette may fire both Hsiung Feng II and Hsiung Feng III missiles making it a potent ASUW platform. HF-3 missile is expected to have a range of 130 kilometers and is reported to be capable of reaching speeds of Mach 2 while the older generation HF-2 missile has a range of 160 kilometers and reach subsonic speeds.

In addition to anti-ship missiles, the corvette is fitted with a 76mm main gun, 4x 12.7mm machine guns and a Phalanx 20mm CIWS. There is no helicopter hangar; however the deck may accommodate a medium size helicopter (10 tons class). Propulsion is achieved through 4 waterjets.

Basic ship specifications:
Length: 60.4m
Width: 14m
Depth: 6m
Max draught: 2.3m
Max speed: 38 knots
Endurance: 2000 nautical miles
Crew: 34

http://www.navyrecognition.com

Citation :

Taiwan to present indigenous submarine plan to U.S.
2014/10/01 14:07:00

Taipei, Oct. 1 (CNA) Taiwan will present a plan to build indigenous submarines at the upcoming United States-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference and reaffirm its resolution in self-defense, Defense Minister Yen Ming said Wednesday.

Responding to questions at the Legislature's committee on foreign affairs and national defense, Yen said a Taiwanese delegation to the U.S., to be led by Deputy Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng, will also touch on defense procurement from the U.S. during closed-door meetings.

Taiwan's state-owned aerospace company, Aerospace Industrial Development Corp., will attend the conference, Yen said.

Taiwan is mulling whether to step up its defense capabilities by either buying submarines from the U.S. or building them on its own using technology provided by Washington, Yen said.

Either way, Taiwan will need support from the U.S., he said, although he added that other democratic countries are encouraged to work with Taiwan on the issue.

At present, Taiwan has four submarines -- two 70-year-old U.S.-built Guppy-class ships that are used only for training, and two Dutch-made subs that serve as the Navy's main submarine battle force.

(By Kelvin Huang and Lee Hsin-Yin)
ENDITEM/J
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http://focustaiwan.tw

Citation :

Taiwan takes final delivery of Apache helicopters


Kaohsiung, Oct. 19 (CNA) Taiwan has taken the delivery of six more AH-64E Apache attack helicopters from the United States, the fifth and final batch of a NT$59.31 billion (US$1.95 billion) order for 30 of the newest Apache model.

They flew to an Army Aviation Special Forces base in Tainan Sunday evening after being unloaded and assembled in the southern port city a day earlier, the Army said.

The final shipment came nearly six months after one of the delivered Apaches crashed into the top of a three-story residential building in Taoyuan County's Longtan Township April 25, damaging four homes but causing no serious injuries.

The Army said in mid-July that the environment and human error were found to be the main causes of the crash, and that Apache training operations had returned to normal before the investigation report was completed.

The model E is the latest in the Apache attack helicopter series. The U.S. and Taiwan are the only two countries using it so far.

http://focustaiwan.tw/

Citation :

Taiwan tests submarine-launched missiles

http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/taiwan-tests-submarine-launched-missiles-report-114101900312_1.html

Citation :

Pilot killed after two Taiwan air force training jets collide mid-air


Accident happens after two AT-3 training jets, both members of the air force aerobatic team “Thunder Tigers”, took off together from southern Taiwan



Two Taiwan air force jets collided mid-air during a routine training flight in southern Taiwan on Tuesday, killing one pilot, the air force said.

The accident occurred shortly after the AT-3 training jet, code number 0815, of the air force aerobatic team “Thunder Tigers,” took off from Gangshan air force base in Kaohsiung with another AT-3 training jet from the same team at 11:10am, an air force officer said.

“Code 0815 crashed in a banana farm in Chikuan and the pilot was hospitalised,” said Wang Chou-hsuan, political warfare director of the air force.

Police said they found the pilot still attached to his parachute at the farm with no signs of life. He was rushed to hospital for emergency treatment.

Doctors at the Gangshan base hospital later confirmed that the pilot, identified as Chuang Pei-yuan, later died.

Air force officers said initial finding showed the ill-fated plane collided with another AT-3 jet, code number 0847, mid-air. Code 0847 returned to base at 11:24am with the pilot Yang Chih-ping safe.

But officers added Chuang had apparently ejected and opened the parachute, but it failed to fully open before the crash.

The twin-engine AT-3, designed for pilot training, was developed by Taiwan in 1980 with US technology. It was the air force’s 11th accident involving training jets since 1994.

Tuesday’s accident came six months after a Apache attack helicopter crashed into the roof of a three-storey residential building in Taoyuan on April 25, damaging four homes but causing no serious injuries. The accident, which happened after the pilot flew too low in bad weather, embarrassed the military after taking delivery of the helicopter from the US.

http://www.scmp.com

Citation :

Taiwan set to purchase advanced trainers in 2017: defense minister


Taipei, Oct. 23 (CNA) Taiwan is planning to purchase advanced trainers to replace its aging fleet of F-5E/F jet fighters and AT-3 jet trainers, Defense Minister Yen Ming said Thursday.

The plans to procure advanced trainers are expected to be included in the Ministry of National Defense budget for 2017, Yen said while fielding questions from Legislator Lin Yu-fang of the ruling Kuomintang before the Legislature's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.

Yen also confirmed that the trainers will be multi-functional -- meaning that they can be used for routine flight training missions but will also be capable of use in combat missions in time of war.

Currently in Taiwan, fighter pilots have to complete their training in the T-34 trainer, the AT-3 trainer and the F-5E/F jet fighter before they can receive training in the second-generation F-16 A/B, the Mirage 2000-5 or the Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF), the Air Force said.

After Taiwan acquires the advanced trainers, fighter pilot training will involve the T-34 trainer, the newly acquired trainers and finally, the second-generation jet fighters, the Air Force said.

Yen's remarks came two days after the pilot of an AT-3 jet trainer, Lt. Col. Chuang Pei-yuan, was killed after his aircraft apparently collided with another AT-3 trainer during a routine aerobatic training mission and crashed in a field in Zihguan District in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan.

The planes belonging to the Air Force Academy in Kaohsiung were trainers used by the Air Force's Thunder Tiger Aerobatics Team and were on routine training when the collision occurred, the Air Force said Tuesday.

As the ministry is planning to further cut the size of the military, Lin had asked whether the Thunder Tiger Aerobatics Team will be disbanded.

In response, Yen said the aerobatics team will remain, but the military will review the necessity of retaining some of the maneuvers performed by the team that involve higher risk and pose greater threats to pilot safety.

The exact cause of the deadly crash is still under investigation.

http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201410230016.aspx

Citation :

‘Carrier-killer’ starts trials
S
HOW BOAT:The nation’s first US$72.39 million stealth missile corvette began a round of sea trials yesterday in waters off the nation’s east coast, military officials

Taiwan’s first locally designed stealth missile corvette, the 500-tonne Tuo Chiang (沱江, Tuo River), began sea trials of its propulsion system yesterday.

The ship was towed from the Lung Teh Shipbuidling Co at the port of Nanfangao (南方澳) in Yilan County and sailed to waters south of Turtle Island (龜山島).

Despite heavy seas off the port of Suao Township (蘇澳), the twin-hulled design of the corvette enabled it to maintain high-speed navigation.

The navy said the tests checked whether the engine can meet the requirements of traveling at high and low speeds.

The vessel was scheduled to dock at Suao military port.

Assembly and testing of its Hsiung Feng II and Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missiles are to be carried out before the navy puts the vessel through nine months of tactical testing.

The armaments of the vessel, which is described as an “aircraft carrier-killer” by media outlets, include eight Hsiung Feng II and eight Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missiles, an Otobreda 76mm gun, 12.7mm machine guns and a MK15 Phalanx close-in weapons system.

Construction of the vessel began in November 2012 and it was christened in March.

It has a top speed of about 70kph and a range of 2,000 nautical miles (3,704km). It is 60.4m long and 14m wide, and carries a crew of 41.

The navy said the ship, with its high mobility, strong firepower and stealth features, will enhance national defense.

The navy plans to commission between eight and 12 of the corvettes if funding can be obtained.

Each costs about NT$2.2 billion (US$72.39 million).

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁方) said earlier that the navy relies mainly on larger ships, such as its Keelung-class destroyers, but those nearly 10,000-tonne ships move relatively slowly and can be obvious targets at sea.

He said that the combat area in the Taiwan Strait is not large and does not need high-tonnage warships, hence the idea behind developing the corvette.

The Navy’s 20 Guanghua VI-class fast attack missile boats currently in service will serve during a transition toward smaller ships.

The Guanghua VI-class boat has a displacement of 186.5 tonnes and a maximum draft of 3m, while the Tuo Chiang displaces 500 tonnes with a maximum draft of 2.3m, allowing it to move in and out of small harbors. Lin touted that aspect, saying the corvette could be hidden among fishing boats.

http://www.taipeitimes.com

Citation :

Taiwan to take delivery of first batch of Black Hawks in December


Taipei, Oct. 29 (CNA) Taiwan will begin taking delivery of UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the United States by the end of this year, with the first batch of six of the 60 aircraft set to arrive in mid-December, an Army official said Wednesday.

The helicopters will be shipped to Taiwan in seven batches, with the final batch scheduled to arrive in 2018, the official told reporters on the sidelines of a legislative committee hearing.

The U.S. government announced in early 2010 that it was selling Taiwan the 60 choppers, worth a total of US$3.1 billion.

They will be mainly used for transportation by the Army, while 15 of them will be used for disaster relief by the National Airborne Service Corps under the Ministry of the Interior, according to the official.

They will be used to replace the Army's aging fleet of UH-1H utility helicopters, the official added.

Meanwhile, asked about whether the two pilots suspended after they crashed an AH-64E Apache attack helicopter in April have been allowed to fly again, the official said they are still undergoing a series of flight tests before they can resume training missions.

Taiwan started taking delivery of 30 Apaches from the U.S. last November and the final batch of the helicopters was delivered earlier this month.

On April 25, one of the Apaches crashed into the top of a three-story residential building in Taoyuan County's Longtan Township, damaging four homes but causing no serious injuries.

The Army said in mid-July that the environment and human error were found to be the main causes of the crash, and that Apache training operations had returned to normal in May.

During Wednesday's legislative session, lawmaker Lee Tung-hao of the opposition People First Party also asked about P-3C anti-submarine aircraft that the U.S. is delivering to the Air Force.

A P-3C flight simulation system has recently become operational to help train Air Force pilots to operate the aircraft, said Lt. Gen. Liu Shou-jen, chief of staff of the Air Force, in response to one of Lee's questions.

(By Elaine Hou)
ENDITEM/J

Citation :

First images of Hsiung Feng III missile launches released



Taipei, Dec. 2 (CNA) Taiwan's main weapons research and development unit released videos and photos of the trial launch of its Hsiung Feng III and Tien Kung III missiles for the first time Tuesday.

The images of the Hsiung Feng III supersonic anti-ship missiles and Tien Kung III surface-to-air missiles were unveiled by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology at its headquarters in Longtan, Taoyuan County.

Taiwan's Chengkung-class frigates and Chinchiang-class corvettes have already been fitted with the Hsiung Feng III missiles.

The 502-ton Tuo Chiang, Taiwan's first locally designed stealth missile corvette, will also be equipped with the missiles in the future, according to military sources.

The release of the images came as China also unveiled its new CX-1 supersonic anti-ship cruise missile at the recent Airshow China in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, showing that both countries are placing emphasis on supersonic anti-ship missiles.

(By Chen Yi-wei and Christie Chen)
ENDITEM/J

http://focustaiwan.tw

Citation :

Hsiung Feng III anti ship missile test Taiwan RoC Navy  

Ajoutée le 4 déc. 2014

http://www.navyrecognition.com/index....
Taiwan's main weapons research and development unit released a video and several photos of
the test launch of its Hsiung Feng III missile for the first time on December 2nd. The HF-3 missile
is seen launched from a land based test platform as well as from a ROC Navy (Republic of China -
Taiwan) Cheng Kung-class frigate.

version française d'un sujet dejà traite in english

Citation :

Taiwan, les F-16 dotés du radar AESA !



Taiwan est en passe de disposer de la version la plus moderne du Lockheed-Martin F-16 C/D «Viper» avec le montage du nouveau radar AESA. Northrop-Grumman a livré les premiers radars  AESA de vue de la mise à niveau des Lockheed-Martin F-16.

Le F-16 «Viper»:

La mise à niveau avec le  radar AESA de type SABR est un élément clé du concept de mise au niveau "Viper" du F-16 de Lockheed-Martin. Il comprend également une nouvelle mise à niveau de l'ordinateur de mission et de l’affichage de poste de pilotage.



Le modèle «Viper» est en fait une modernisation destinée aux utilisateurs du F-16. L’appareil est cette-fois doté d’un nouveau radar avec antenne à balayage électronique (AESA), couplée à un nouvel ordinateur de mission. L’architecture est dotée de la fusion de données. Cette modernisation doit permettre de mieux préparer et interagir avec les appareils de 5e génération ou de génération 4++.



Le radar Northrop-Grumman SABR :





Le SABR (Scalabre Agile Beam Radar) de Northrop-Grumman est conçu spécifiquement pour le F-16. Ce radar tire profit de la renommée de la gamme des radars de type l'APG- 77, -77 (V) 1 (F-22 Raptor) et -80 , -81 (F-35). Le SABR a fait ses débuts sur un F-16 en novembre 2009. En vol, ce radar a effectués 17 sorties avec les pilotes d'essais en vol de l'USAF avec un taux de réussite de 100%.

Un choix crucial pour le radariste :

La décision de Taiwan de moderniser ses F-16 avec le nouveau radar AESA SABR développé par l’équipementier Northrop-Grumman est une véritable aubaine pour celui-ci. En effet, le radariste comptait placer plusieurs centaines de radar SABR sur les F-16 de l’US Air Force et de la Corée du Sud, mais la décision récente du Pentagone de ne moderniser que la cellule des F-16 en service dans l’USAF et la Garde Nationale, a sonné comme une très mauvaise nouvelle pour son concepteur. Le choix de Taiwan redonne un peu d’espoir de vente du nouveau radar à d’autres utilisateurs du F-16.

http://psk.blog.24heures.ch/aviation/

Citation :

Northrop delivers first SABR radar for Taiwan F-16s

Northrop Grumman has delivered the first of several developmental radars sold to Taiwan as an upgrade for their Lockheed Martin F-16s.

The APG-83 scaleable agile beam radar (SABR) will replace Northrop’s mechanically-scanned APG-68 system in Taiwan’s F-16s.

Northrop delivered the first SABR – an active electronically scanned array (AESA) – within 16 months of contract award by Taiwan.

The AESA radar upgrade is a key element of Lockheed’s “F-16V” upgrade concept. It also includes a new mission computer and cockpit display upgrades.

Northrop designed SABR to offer simultaneous air-to-air and air-to-ground search and track capability. It is similar to AESA technology developed for Northrop’s APG-77 radar installed on the Lockheed F-22 and APG-81 onboard the F-35.

http://www.flightglobal.com

j ai une question es ce que pour faire passer le f16 a l'AESA on met a jour juste le software ou bien y a des équipement en plus a installer (communication ou autres)

radar AESA + software + integration/tests compatibilité avec l´EW

Citation :

‘Stealth’ frigate handed over to Taiwan's Navy

High-speed corvette has a range of about 3,700km and will be equipped with domestically produced anti-ship missiles


Taiwan's Navy yesterday took possession of the island’s first self-developed missile-carrying “stealth” corvette.

The ship has been described by the Taiwanese media as an aircraft carrier killer and the 500-tonne twin-hull vessel, Tuo Jiang, was built by the Taiwanese shipbuilding company Lung Teh.

The handover to the navy took place at Suao, a fishing port in the eastern part of Taiwan, and comes after the mainland has objected to the US sale of four Perry-class frigates to the island.

The high-speed corvette has a range of about 3,700km and will be equipped with domestically produced anti-ship missiles. The uneven surface of the vessel is designed to deflect radar signals, making it difficult for enemies to detect.

Military experts estimate testing of the missile system will take at least eight months. The navy hopes a fleet of the vessels could be deployed next year and plans to build 2,000-tonne twin-hull frigates in the future if the Tuo Jiang fleet performs well, the Liberty Times newspaper reported.

Tuo Jiang is part a NT$25 billion (HK$6.1 billion) budget approved by the legislature in 2011 to build eight to 12 of the corvettes as a defence measure against the mainland’s aircraft carrier.

Analysts have suggested the Tuo Jiang would give a strong boost to the island’s military. Washington has agreed to sell weapons worth US$18.3 billion, including F-16 fighters, 30 Apache attack helicopters and 12 antisubmarine and maritime surveillance aircraft since the island’s president, Ma Ying-jeou, took office six years ago.

Beijing has called for the arms sales to the island to be scrapped, arguing that the United States government is violating an agreement not to interfere in China’s internal affairs.

http://www.scmp.com

Citation :

Defense minister rejects testing of missiles in US

Taiwan does not intend to test-fire its Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missiles in the US, Minister of National Defense Yen Ming (嚴明) said during a legislative committee meeting yesterday.

The ministry has no plans to allocate funds for test-firing the missiles, he said in response to questions posed by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁方) at a hearing of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.

Saying that Taiwan has not test-fired any of the US-made PAC-3 missiles, Lin said the military had asked him to convey to the US its wish to have the weapons tested after their arrival in Taiwan.

However, Washington responded that all countries that buy its PAC-3 missiles are required to use a site in the state of New Mexico if they wish to conduct test-firing, Lin said, adding that the US charges US$4 million for the test.

In response, Yen said that the Ministry of National Defense has to consider whether it is necessary to spend so much money for a missile test, given the size of the country’s defense budget.

At the moment, Taiwan has no plans to request a test of the PAC-3s in the US, he said.

Weapons that are saleable have a certain degree of reliability and the arms sales contracts usually include a record of the weapons’ tests, the minister said.

In January 2010, the US approved an arms sale to Taiwan that included 114 PAC-3 missiles.

Meanwhile, Yen said that the navy has taken delivery of its first locally designed stealth missile corvette, the Tuo Jiang (沱江), which is expected to enhance the nation’s anti-ship defenses capabilities.

He also said the government is still on track to acquire two Perry-class frigates, a sale that was recently approved by the US.

That plan has not changed, he said when asked by Lin if the acquisition of the Perry-class frigates from the US would squeeze Taiwan’s budget for more locally made 500-tonne corvettes.

http://www.taipeitimes.com

Citation :

Taïwan lance un programme de construction de sous-marins


Posté dans Asie-Pacifique, Forces navales par Laurent Lagneau Le 02-01-2015

Avec le  Hai Shih et le Hai Bao, la marine taïwanaise a la particularité de mettre en oeuvre des sous-marins qui sont très probablement les plus anciens du monde. Ces navires (classe Guppy II) ont en effet été conçus aux États-Unis au cours de la Seconde Guerre Mondiale avant d’être cédés à Taipeh dans les années 1970.

Aussi, l’acquisition de nouveaux sous-marin est une des priorités du ministère taïwanais de la Défense. Et cela depuis longtemps. En 2001, il était question de passer une commande de 8 bâtiments à propulsion classique auprès des États-Unis.

Mais ce projet est resté lettre morte. D’une part parce que l’industrie navale américaine ne construit que des sous-marins à propulsion nucléaire et d’autre part parce que Washington a souhaité ménager Pékin, pour qui voyait d’un mauvais oeil une telle vente à un pays considéré comme une « province rebelle ». Cette même prudence a aussi prévalu en Europe, où certains pays auraient pu satisfaire les demandes taïwanaises.

Du coup, les autorités taïwanaises ont décidé de lancer leur propre programme de construction de sous-marins. Un tel projet était dans l’air depuis quelques temps déjà. Et il a été confirmé le 29 décembre par Chiu Kuo-cheng, le vice-ministre de la Défense, qui en a informé les parlementaires de l’ancienne Formose.

Un premier contrat, d’une durée de 4 ans et d’un montant de plus de 94 millions de dollars a ainsi été attribué afin de commencer les travaux préparatoires dès cette année. Le premier submersible pourrait être terminé en 2024. Peu de détails ont été donnés sur ce projet, si ce n’est que le vice-amiral Hsiao Wei-min a indiqué que les besoins de la marine taïwanaise portaient sur des sous-marins de 1.200 à 3.000 tonnes (le Scorpène de DCNS aurait donc pu convenir…).

Les bénéficaires de ce contrat n’ont pas été précisés mais des sources militaires ont évoqué de Ship and Ocean Industries R&D Center et de CSBC Corporation Taiwan. Des conseillers techniques étrangers pourraient également sollicités. Seront-ils Américains? Peut-être. Pour rappel, le Taïwan Relations Act oblige Washington à fournir à Taipeh de quoi assurer sa défense… Et, en septembre 2014, l’amiral Greenert, le chef des opérations de l’US Navy, a évoqué l’existence de discussions portant sur de possibles transferts de technologies, sans toutefois en précisé la teneur exacte.

Mais d’une manière générale, Taïwan cherche de plus en plus des solutions locales pour équiper ses forces armées, étant donné que ses fournisseurs potentiels ne veulent pas froisser la Chine. C’est ainsi que les ingénieurs taïwanais ont développé le missile antinavire Hsiung Feng III, le système sol-air Tien Kung III ou encore la corvette furtive de la classe Tuo Chiang. Pour cela, Taipeh s’appuie sur l’Institut national Chung-Shan pour les sciences et les technologies, dont certaines innovations servent à des applications civiles, au grand bénéfice de l’industrie locale.


http://www.opex360.com/2015/01/02/taiwan-lance-programme-de-construction-de-marins/

Citation :

Taiwan prepares to take 2 US Perry-class frigates

TAIPEI -- The R.O.C. Navy said Wednesday that it will send personnel to the United States later this year to prepare to take delivery of two of four Perry-class guided missile frigates the United States has agreed to sell to Taiwan.

“We will send them to the U.S. in the second quarter of the year,” a source in the Navy told CNA.

The Navy wants the frigates to replace its aging fleet of Knox-class vessels, which have been in service for about 40 years.

The Navy expects to take delivery of the frigates, which are being decommissioned by the U.S. Navy after some 30 years of service, in 2017.

As the Navy prepares to receive the Perry-class frigates, it said two of its eight Knox class frigates are expected to be retired by the end of this year.

U.S. President Barack Obama in December signed into law a bill that authorizes the sale of the four Perry-class frigates to Taiwan. The Senate and the House of Representatives had both passed the bill earlier that month.

The measure approved by the U.S. government will allow the sale of guided missile frigates USS Gary, USS Carr, USS Taylor and USS Elrod to Taiwan's Navy, which already operates eight Cheng Kung-class frigates modeled on the 4,100-ton Perry-class ships.

http://www.chinapost.com.tw

Citation :

ROC Navy commissioned its new fast combat support ship AOE 532 "Panshih"

The Republic of China (Taiwan) Navy (ROC Navy) took delivery of a new locally designed fast combat support ship AOE 532 "Panshih" (nammed after a mountain in eastern Taiwan) on January 23rd. Panshih is now the largest vessel of the ROC Navy.

The Republic of China (Taiwan) Navy (ROC Navy) took delivery of a new locally designed fast combat support ship AOE 532 "Panshih" (nammed after a mountain in eastern Taiwan) on January 23rd. Panshih is now the largest vessel of the ROC Navy.
The Republic of China Navy Panshih Fast Combat Support Ship underway
following its commissioning

The vessel, fully designed in Taiwan, was laid down at the National Taiwan Shipbuilding Corporation (CSBC) shipyad in Kaoshiung in December 2012, launched in November 2013 and will be commissioned to the ROC Navy in 2015 following the trials at sea. The vessel is designed as an AOE, in accordance with the U.S. Navy hull classification system, which means it is a logistics ship that will supply oil, ammunition and stores to other ships in a battle group.

"Panshi" is 196 meters long with a beam of 25.2 meters and a draft of 8.6 meters. It has a full displacement of 20,859 tons and light displacement of 10,371 tons. . It has a range of 8,000 nautical miles, maximum speed of 22 knots and the capacity to carry a complement of 165 sailors.

The new ship will help boost Taiwan's combat capability, according to Chief of General Staff Kao Kuang-chi.

The Republic of China (Taiwan) Navy (ROC Navy) took delivery of a new locally designed fast combat support ship AOE 532 "Panshih" (nammed after a mountain in eastern Taiwan) on January 23rd. Panshih is now the largest vessel of the ROC Navy.
The Republic of China Navy Panshi Fast Combat Support Ship underway during sea trials

The large helicopter hangar provides permanent basing of up to three medium helicopters (CH-47SD and S-70C helicopters; or a US Navy CH-53E helicopter). The ship has been design to be able to simultaneously replenish two vessels at the same time.

Advanced medical facilities have been fitted inside, including treatment rooms, dental rooms, dental X-ray room, operating room, general ward, and a negative pressure isolation ward for infectious disease prevention and control.


According to the original models, the class was set to receive a quite unusual heavy weapons fit for this type of vessel:
1x 76mm OTO Melara compact main gun
2x 20mm Phalanx CIWS
2x 35mm Rheinmetall Millenium guns
2x 30mm cannons turrets
and several .50 cal machine guns

The final weapons fit on Panshih differs slightly from what was expected based on the original scale model: The 76mm main gun was never installed. The ROC Navy opted for a RIM-72C Sea Chaparral (with 4x AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles) SAM system.

http://www.navyrecognition.com

Citation :

Taiwan’s vice chief of staff toured M-346 production line

According to Storm Media, Taiwan’s current vice chief of staff Lt. Gen. Han Ken-shen had toured the M-346 production line in Italy while he still deputy commander of the RoCAF.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/M346_-_RIAT_2010_%284924096393%29.jpg

livraison de 4 Black Hawk UH-60M

Citation :

Taiwan plans to buy 120 M1A1 Abrams
May 26, 2015

Taipei Times is reporting that the Republic of China Ministry of National Defense has stated that they are sticking with a plan to purchase 120 M1A1 Abrams tanks.  The deal is set to be finalized in 2017 with delivery starting in 2020 and is valued at $1.08 billion.  The 120 tanks would come from existing US inventory and would replace Taiwan’s M60A3 and CM-11 Brave Tiger main battle tanks.  The article notes that the original plan was to purchase M1A2 tanks, but the less expensive M1A1 was selected instead.  Upon delivery, the 120 tanks are to constitute two battalions for deployment at the main ROC infantry base in Hsinchu County’s Hukou Township, which is tasked with the defense of the capital, Taipei, and northern Taiwan.

http://tankandafvnews.com/2015/05/26/taiwan-plans-to-buy-120-m1a1-abrams/