New coast guard ships designed to double up as missile corvettes in wartime

The first twin-hull high-speed Anping-class coast guard cutter was launched in Kaohsiung today, April 27, and is designed with both peacetime and wartime capabilities.

The 600-ton vessel is a coast guard version of the ROC Navy’s Tuo Chiang class stealth missile corvette, dubbed Taiwan’s “carrier killer” ship.

Fitted with a water cannon, and the multi-barrel Zhenhai rocket system, the ships are fitted for use in peacetime coastal and border defense operations. However the ships can also carry the same anti-land and anti-ship missile configurations of the Tuo Chiang class corvettes – with 8 Hsiung Feng II, and 8 Hsiung Feng III missiles.

Same as the navy version, the Anping class cutter, with it’s wave piercing hull design and MTU 20V 4000 M93L diesel engine can reach speeds of 83 kilometers an hour (45 knots).

CG601 is the first of 12 of the coast guard vessels to roll off the production line, and is expected to be in service in October this year, two months ahead of schedule. It is also planned to test the military functions of the ship during next year’s annual Hanguang military exercises.

While Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration (CGA) is considered a civilian law enforcement agency, during emergencies it can be incorporated into the ROC Armed Forces.

The new ships are part of Taiwan’s development of asymmetrical warfare capabilities, which is seeing the development of a larger number of smaller, stealthier, and faster ships that can pack a punch in hit and run tactical maritime defense operations.

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