Photo: Yilan (CG 128). (Taiwan Coast Guard Administration)
I mentioned this earlier in a comment on an earlier post, but Jane’s has more detail and much better pictures. Back on June 8, Janes 360 reported that Taiwan’s Coast Guard administration has commissioned two new 3,000 ton, 119 meter (390 foot) helo capable cutters, Yilan (CG 128) and Kaohsiung (CG 129), with a speed of 24 knots and a range of up to 10,000 miles.
Taiwan, along with Mainland China, supports the concept of the Nine Dash Line, but they have a particular beef with Japan. regarding the Senkakus Islands as they are known in Japan or the Diaoyutais as they are known in China and Taiwan, about 120 nautical miles (220km) northeast of Taiwan.
The other area where these might be assigned is protection of the area around Taiping Island, the largest of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea (at least before the Chinese began reclamation) which the Taiwanese have garrisoned.
Photo: Kaohsiung (CG 129). (Taiwan Coast Guard Administration)
“Since 2008, Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration has been engaged in a 37-ship building program totaling 17,000 tons at a cost of approximately NT$ 24 billion ($782 million).”
No main gun?
They have a director controlled 40mm and a pair of 20s. I am a bit surprised they did not take the opportunity to make these more effective as landing barge buster considering China’s continuing threat to retake Taiwan by force.
And of course I don’t think this is even adequate for peacetime missions.
seems like Taiwan CG is going the way that Japanese CG went? Large capable cutters not highly armed in addition to many smaller ones
It makes me wonder why haven’t we brought this design to the US
Pingback: Taiwan Building Four 4,000 ton Cutters | Chuck Hill's CG Blog