Taiwan’s Republic of China Navy has contracted Jong Shyn Shipbuilding to build two light frigates for 9.05 billion New Taiwan dollars ($295 million).
The Taiwanese shipbuilder will begin work this month and deliver the vessels by October 2026, multiple Taiwanese outlets reported.
Jong Shyn will build the 2,500-ton vessels for anti-aircraft and anti-submarine warfare and expects to clinch a larger follow-up order of 10 vessels upon passing military tests.
The vessels are likely to feature Lockheed Martin Canada‘s CMS-330 Combat Management System.
Light Frigate Program
The Taiwanese navy planned in 2016 to replace its frigate fleet, comprising three types of vessels, with a single new class of 4,500-ton guided missile frigates, according to Naval News.
However, the plan was suspended in 2021 in favor of a lighter 2,500-ton vessel program.
The navy’s current fleet of 22 frigates weigh between 3,600 tons and 4,200 tons.
The vessels, called “first-class ships,” are tasked with executing “high-end” combat, according to Naval News.
The new frigates, called “second-class ships,” will act as the navy’s “workhorse” and take over some of the tasks performed by the “first-class ships” such as day-to-day patrols.
The frigates will fill the gap between first and third-class ships, comprising smaller corvettes and missile boats.