Taiwan commissions new Tuo Chiang-class corvette Dan Chiang
President William Lai presided over the ceremony as Taiwan pushes to commission all twelve corvettes in the class by the end of the year
Taiwan's president presided over the commissioning ceremony for the navy's newest Tuo Chiang-class corvette, Dan Chiang, at a naval base in Kaohsiung, with the vessel's sister ships also taking part in the event. The commissioning marks another milestone in Taiwan's indigenous shipbuilding programme, with the president saying all twelve planned corvettes in the class are expected to be commissioned by the end of the year.
The president framed the domestic build programme as an important part of a broader national strategy to boost defence autonomy, arguing that building warships domestically fosters independent research, development and manufacturing capability while ensuring vessels can be maintained and repaired without relying on foreign assistance, a factor he said strengthens military resilience in the event of conflict. The Tuo Chiang-class corvettes feature a low-radar-observability catamaran hull and an advanced battle control system, and are capable of firing supersonic extended-range missiles at targets on land and at sea.
Alongside the commissioning, Taiwan's defence ministry disclosed significant design changes to its next-generation light frigate programme, which is planned to consist of two prototype vessels followed by ten additional ships split between air defence and anti-submarine warfare configurations. The air defence variant has undergone the most substantial redesign, moving to a catamaran-type hull similar to the Tuo Chiang class to accommodate additional weapons on an enlarged deck, while the anti-submarine variant retains a more conventional hull layout better suited to its operational role.
The delivery of the programme's prototype frigates has reportedly been delayed due to issues with the foreign manufacturer contracted to supply the ships' engines, though officials say the delay is not expected to affect the timeline for the additional follow-up vessels planned for construction between 2028 and 2040 under a budget running into the billions of dollars.
Taken together, the Dan Chiang commissioning and the disclosed changes to the frigate programme reflect Taiwan's continued push to expand and modernise its domestically built naval fleet, as the island seeks to strengthen its maritime defences amid an evolving regional security environment.
