Taiwan builds missile corvettes and minelayers to enter service in 2021-2025.

Taiwan recently increased its domestic defence programme (on Friday, May 24) by beginning to build three Tuo Chiang-class missile corvettes and four rapid mine-laying ships at a wharf in Yilan County. The Navy is scheduled to take delivery of the first ships in late 2021, with the last of the batch entering service in 2025.

Tuo Chiang-class missile corvette scale model on NCSIST booth during NAVDEX 2017, UAE (Picture Source: Navy Recognition)

The government has been emphasizing the need for the country to produce more of its own weapons systems itself, as pressure from China has made it difficult to procure the weapons coming from overseas. Therefore, Taiwan continuously increases its spendings in its own defence industry.

While the Corvettes look small, they are fast and their firepower is impressive, symbolizing Taiwan is a small place but has the will and the ability to defend its freedom and democracy, President Tsai Ing-wen said at the launch ceremony in Suao. The vessels were not only an effective example of asymmetric warfare but also represented the spirit of Taiwan, she said.

The first Tuo Chiang was launched in 2014 and was the first Navy vessel Tsai boarded after taking office in May 2016. Her visit was at the origin of the plans to research and develop a new version and order more of the corvettes, CNA reported.

As for the mine-layers, they have been designed to face down an attack by amphibious vehicles trying to land in Taiwan and would be equipped with a more precise automatic mine-laying system, according to defence officials.f Taiwan, she said. This is obviously to counter a massive landing invasion that China could attempt on Taiwan's coasts.