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¡¥Carrier killer¡¦
program goes ahead
¡¥SWIFT SEA¡¦: Between seven and 11 500-tonne
stealth corvettes, each equipped with eight anti-ship cruise missiles and
designed to sink carriers, are to be built by 2014
By J. Michael Cole / Staff reporter
A stealth 500-tonne fast attack
¡§carrier killer¡¨ missile boat under development is pictured in this
computer-generated rendition released in December 2010.
Image provided courtesy of the Republic of China Navy
Despite hitting a snag in a recent bidding
process, the navy is proceeding with the development of a stealth 500-tonne fast
attack missile boat that is already being hailed as Taiwan¡¦s ¡§carrier killer.¡¨
Plans for the indigenous development of the 500-tonne corvette were first made
public in 2009. In April the following year, Deputy Minister of National Defense
Lin Yu-pao (ªL©ó°\) told the legislature that design work as part of the Hsun Hai
(¨³®ü, ¡§Swift Sea¡¨) program was completed and that bidding would be held this
year.
The legislature last year passed a NT$24.98 billion (US$853.4 million) budget to
build between seven and 11 corvettes, with delivery scheduled for 2014. The
boats are reportedly expected to remain in service for 25 years.
However, the process hit an obstacle last month, when only two small firms,
Ching Fu Shipbuilding Co and Lung Teh Shipbuilding Co, participated in the bid
for construction of the Swift Sea prototypes. China Shipbuilding Corp, Taiwan (CSBC),
the nation¡¦s largest shipbuilder, did not participate in the March 26 bid,
causing it to fail, the Chinese-language Asia-Pacific Defense Magazine reported
in its latest issue.
A CSBC official said the firm decided not to participate in the bid because
several technological requirements for the project had yet to be confirmed by
the ministry.
Once those issues have been cleared up, CSBC will participate in the bid, the
official said, adding that the company was very keen on winning the contract.
The corvettes will come equipped with eight Hsiung Feng II (HF-2) and Hsiung
Feng III (HF-3) anti-ship missiles, as well as a 76mm rapid-fire bow gun. The
catamaran-style design, reports said, may have been inspired by the 220-tonne
Houbei-class Type 022 catamaran recently deployed by China¡¦s People¡¦s Liberation
Army Navy (PLAN).
Analysts are saying the central cross-linked structure of the Swift Sea corvette
will provide high stability, adding that its 30 knot (55.5kph) speed will also
be an asset. Special attention has reportedly been paid to the stealth design
for the hull and main gun turret, which will use radar refractive materials
The program is seen as the logical follow-up to the development of the Kuang Hua
VI (KH-6) fast-attack boats in service in the navy since 2010. In all, 31 of the
CSBC-made, 170-tonne KH-6s, divided into three squadrons and which carry four
HF-2s each, are active in the navy. Earlier this year, critics of the small
attack craft said its light displacement and top-heavy design undermined its
stability at sea, especially during unfavorable weather conditions.
James Holmes of the US Naval War College told the Taipei Times at the time that
the KH-6 was probably only a transitional platform until something better was
introduced.
Amid growing focus on the indigenous development of weapons systems, Taiwan
appears to be slowly emphasizing an asymmetrical approach to countering the
Chinese military, with less reliance on heavy ¡X and expensive ¡X platforms and
more on speed, stealth and evasiveness, analysts say.
Taiwanese defense analysts say the principal role of the new corvettes in
coastal defense will be to target any carrier battle group deployed by the PLAN
in nearby waters.
China¡¦s first aircraft carrier, the refurbished former Soviet Varyag, is
expected to enter service in August this year. Two or three additional carriers
are expected to be built by Chinese shipyards by 2020.
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