Taiwan Navy to Take Delivery of New Stealth Missile Corvette

Taiwan's navy is set to receive a delivery of its first locally designed stealth missile corvette from a Taiwanese shipbuilder during a ceremony slated for Dec. 23, the country's Ministry of National Defense said Friday.

During the ceremony in a commercial harbor in Suao, the 500-ton corvette–called the Tuo Jiang (Tuo River)–will be officially transferred from Lung Teh Shipbuilding to the ROC Navy.

After receiving the corvette, the Navy will begin training personnel to familiarize themselves with the craft, and Navy officials did not think it would take long before the vessel would be put into service.

The corvette will be based in Suao, Yilan county, according to the Navy.

Earlier this month, the Navy released a video showing sea trials of the Tuo Jiang and said the results of the tests were satisfactory.

Naval officials praised the boat's high performance and high mobility, noting that the corvette reached a maximum speed of more than 38 knots during recent sea trials.

The twin-hull Hsun-hai class corvette will be equipped with several weapons, including the locally developed Hsiung Feng II and Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missiles, the Navy said.

Commissioned by the Navy, Lung Teh Shipbuilding began construction of the Tuo Jiang in November 2012, and it was christened in March this year.

It has a range of 2,000 nautical miles, measures 60.4 meters in length and 14 meters in width, and can hold a crew of 41.

The Navy plans to commission between eight and 12 of the corvettes if sufficient funds can be obtained in the future.