Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen Attends Launch Ceremony of New Patrol Ship... Personally Names the Warship

New Stealth Patrol Ship Named 'Tajangham'... First Among All Commanders
"Showing Determination to Protect Maritime Areas in All Directions"

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-woo] Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen personally attended the launching ceremony of the stealth high-speed missile patrol ship independently developed by the Taiwanese military, even naming the warship herself, emphasizing the determination for self-reliant defense. China, which claims 'One China' and has intensified friction with Taiwan, is reportedly continuing a tense situation by dispatching military aircraft to intrude into Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) once again.

According to local media such as Taiwan's United Daily News on the 16th, President Tsai said at the launching ceremony of the mass-produced new stealth high-speed missile patrol ship held at the Longde Shipyard in Nanfang'ao, Yilan County, northeastern Taiwan, the previous day, "Today's launching ceremony of the vessel shows Taiwan's determination to protect its waters comprehensively," adding, "With meticulous planning and efforts over the past four years, we are presenting the results of the indigenous shipbuilding project 'Guohanguozhao' this year."

The patrol ship is a warship independently developed by the Taiwanese military, commonly called the 'carrier killer.' It was developed to prevent China's aircraft carrier strike group from invading Taiwan and is a mass-produced version of Taiwan's Tuojang-class patrol ship, deployed in actual combat since 2015. It is heavily armed with supersonic anti-ship missiles Hsiung-2 and Hsiung-3, 3D air defense radar, Hai-Chen-2 short-range air defense missiles, a 76mm naval gun, and Vulcan guns. President Tsai emphasized, "It will be able to achieve operational objectives such as deterring enemy threats and delaying landings."

President Tsai personally attended the launching ceremony, named the ship 'Tajang,' and played the role of the ship's sponsor offering blessings. Traditionally, women have named ships at launching ceremonies, so as Taiwan's first female president, Tsai became the first president in Taiwan's history to directly name a warship.

Meanwhile, on the same day, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense announced that two Chinese military aircraft, one Y-8 anti-submarine patrol aircraft and one Yun-8 technical reconnaissance aircraft, entered the southwestern ADIZ. The Apple Daily reported that despite two warning broadcasts from the Taiwanese military, the Chinese military aircraft continued flying toward Taiwan, and only turned back after the third warning stating, "You have already entered our (Taiwan's) airspace."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.