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President William Lai emphasized the importance of funding Taiwan's indigenous shipbuilding and aircraft programs to enhance national self-defense capabilities during a keel-laying ceremony for six domestically built cruisers. The cruisers, costing NT$12.9 billion, are designed to patrol international waters and support the Coast Guard in safeguarding Taiwan's territorial integrity. Lai urged bipartisan legislative support for defense budgets to ensure the success of these initiatives.

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6 views

新增 Microsoft Word 文件

President William Lai emphasized the importance of funding Taiwan's indigenous shipbuilding and aircraft programs to enhance national self-defense capabilities during a keel-laying ceremony for six domestically built cruisers. The cruisers, costing NT$12.9 billion, are designed to patrol international waters and support the Coast Guard in safeguarding Taiwan's territorial integrity. Lai urged bipartisan legislative support for defense budgets to ensure the success of these initiatives.

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victor kao
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Lai backs Taiwan made ships, aircraft

SELF-DEFENSE: The president urged legislators across party lines to support


indigenous defense industry budgets to help safeguard the nation’s way of life

 By Jake Chung / Staff writer, with CNA

President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday reaffirmed the nation’s commitment to


funding indigenous shipbuilding and aircraft programs to lay the foundations for
developing local defense industries, adding that they are key to strengthening the
nation’s self-defense capabilities.

Lai made the remarks while presiding over a keel-laying ceremony in Kaohsiung for
the first of six domestically built cruisers.

The cruisers were ordered by the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) under former
president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) 2021 initiative to combat illegal fishing, and cost a
total of NT$12.9 billion (US$390 million).

President William Lai speaks at a keel-laying ceremony in Kaohsiung yesterday for


the first of six domestically built cruisers.

Photo: CNA

The plan aims to build six long-range vessels capable of patrolling international
waters, extending Taiwan’s maritime reach and reinforcing the government’s
commitment to safeguarding the nation’s territorial waters, Lai said.

The ship under construction would be equipped with a diesel-electric propulsion


system powerful enough to circle Taiwan up to 30 times per deployment, he said,
adding that the extended range would enable the vessels to operate further afield.

The ship’s rear deck can store supplies, a coastal multipurpose boat, an attack boat,
or a drone, depending on the ship’s mission, he said.

The vessel would bolster the coast guard’s maritime patrol capabilities, while also
serving as a supply ship for outlying islands, or as a marine rescue ship, Lai said.
The nation’s coast guard personnel are hard at work defending our maritime borders
against the Chinese Communist Party’s incessant harassment via “gray zone” tactics,
Lai said, urging coast guard personnel to keep themselves safe when on duty.

Lai called on the Ocean Affairs Council, the CGA and CSBC Taiwan (台灣國際造船) — the
company building the vessels — to work hard to stay on schedule, while urging
legislators across party lines to support relevant budgets to help safeguard Taiwan’s
democratic way of life.

CSBC Taiwan chairman Huang Cheng-hung (黃正弘) said construction of the first vessel
began last year and it is expected to be launched by October, after which it would
undergo sea trials and testing, with delivery to the CGA scheduled for Aug. 11 next
year.

The ship, measuring 100m in length, 16.5m at its widest point and 8m in depth, is
expected to displace more than 3,000 tonnes without equipment and up to 8,000
tonnes when fully outfitted, Huang said

It would be armed with water cannons and high-pressure water guns, and feature
the XTR-102 20mm remote weapon system developed by the Chungshan Institute of
Science and Technology, he added.

Designed for versatility, the ship would be capable of towing the CGA’s 4,000-tonne
Chiayi-class patrol vessels and carrying modular cargo crates, broadening its potential
operational roles, Huang said.

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