Taiwan Unveils Stealth Patrol Ship Targeting Chinese Aircraft Carriers

On December 15th, the launching ceremony of the new patrol ship Tajang, to be used as a Chinese aircraft carrier killer by the Taiwan Navy, was held. Photo by Taiwan Presidential Office

[Military Analyst Kim Daeyoung] On December 15 last year, the launching ceremony of the Taiwanese Navy's new stealth patrol ship, the Tajiang, was held at the Longde Shipyard in Nanfang'ao, Yilan County, northeastern Taiwan, attended by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文). The Tajiang is known as the successor to the Tuojang (?江) class, which the Taiwanese Navy began operating in earnest in 2015.

Compared to the lead ship of the Tuojang class, which is the first vessel constructed in a series of multiple identical ships, the Tajiang has an increased displacement and significantly enhanced armament. The full load displacement of the Tuojang class is 600 tons, comparable in size to the ROK Navy's guided missile fast attack craft Yoon Youngha, which has a full load displacement of 570 tons. However, unlike South Korea, the Taiwanese Navy classifies combat ships over 500 tons as patrol ships. Although the displacement difference is minimal, the Tuojang class carries a much greater variety and number of weapons compared to the Yoon Youngha.

In particular, the Tuojang class shows a significant difference in hull form compared to the Yoon Youngha. While the Yoon Youngha employs a planing hull form suitable for high-speed navigation, the Tuojang class adopts a wave-piercing catamaran hull form. The wave-piercing catamaran allows high-speed navigation even in rough seas with high waves by cutting through the waves. Additionally, the catamaran hull supports the ship's superstructure with multiple hulls, resulting in a relatively wide deck.

Utilizing this feature, the Tuojang class is equipped with eight Hsiung Feng II anti-ship missiles with a range of 160 km and eight supersonic Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missiles. The successor Tajiang class has an increased full load displacement by about 85 tons compared to the Tuojang class. Consequently, it carries sixteen Hai Chien-2 (Sea Sword-2) active radar homing surface-to-air missiles and is equipped with a 3D air defense radar necessary for their operation. However, it carries only four supersonic Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missiles.

Excluding missiles, the basic armament includes one 76.2mm naval gun, a Phalanx close-in weapon system, and various machine guns. Additionally, it is reported to be equipped with two Mk 32 triple torpedo launchers and a small variable depth sonar. The variable depth sonar houses the sound source and receiver in a watertight container and can be lowered to depths where temperature effects on underwater targets are minimized. The Tuojang class is reported to have a maximum speed of 81 km/h.

On the other hand, the successor Tajiang class, with increased displacement, has a reduced maximum speed of 70 km/h. In the future, the Taiwanese military plans to build and deploy a minimum of eight to a maximum of twelve Tuojang-class patrol ships. The Tuojang-class patrol ships, incorporating stealth design, are said to execute wolfpack tactics against Chinese aircraft carriers in times of conflict, relying on high survivability. In other words, multiple Tuojang-class patrol ships use their excellent maneuverability to move agilely and launch multiple anti-ship missiles to attack Chinese aircraft carriers.

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