On July 24, 2026, the Republic of China (ROC) Navy (Taiwan’s Navy) commissions its first Tuo Chiang-class Batch 2 catamaran corvette.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) presided over the commissioning ceremony for the Navy’s newest warship, ROCS Tan Chiang (丹江, PGG-627), at Tsoying Naval Base (海軍左營基地), Taiwan’s largest naval facility.
The ceremony was also attended by senior national security and military officials, including Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄), National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), and Commander of the Navy Admiral Chiang Cheng-Kuo (蔣正國).
Tan Chiang is the eighth vessel in the Tuo Chiang class and the first ship in the second production batch. All 12 Tuo Chiang-class corvettes are scheduled to be delivered and commissioned by the end of 2026.
In his speech at the ceremony, President Lai expressed the nation’s gratitude to Navy personnel, the research and development and shipbuilding teams, and companies across the defence industry’s supply chain for overcoming numerous challenges, bringing the ships into service, and advancing Taiwan’s goal of building warships domestically.
Operation Employment Concept of Tuo Chiang-class
According to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND), Tuo Chiang-class corvettes conduct peacetime missions such as patrols, escorting transport vessels to offshore islands, and supporting routine readiness exercises. The class can also operate as part of a main combatant task force to help secure sea lines of communication, provide rapid defence of offshore islands, and respond to contingencies.
In wartime, these corvettes support surface combat task groups in sea-control operations and can independently command and control missile boats. Their missions also include extending operational reach, conducting joint counter-blockade and strike operations, and engaging enemy forces approaching the coastline.
Other wartime tasks include patrol and port-area defence, reconnaissance, support for special operations, offensive and defensive minelaying, infiltration missions, and the transport of supplies to offshore islands.
2 batches of Tuo Chiang-class
The follow-on Tuo Chiang-class corvettes are divided into two sub-batches. The first comprises ROCS Ta Chiang (PGG-619), Fu Chiang (PGG-620), Hsu Chiang (PGG-621), Wu Chiang (PGG-623), An Chiang (PGG-625), and Wan Chiang (PGG-626), all of which are fitted with the STIR 1.2 EO Mk2 fire-control radar.
The second sub-batch, beginning with Tan Chiang, is equipped with the Leonardo NA-30S Mk2 fire-control radar. The change followed the French government’s refusal to approve the export of Thales-manufactured radar systems, including the STIR series, to Taiwan. Taiwan has operated STIR-series radars since the 1980s.
Construction of the five vessels in the second sub-batch began in 2024, with deliveries scheduled between March and December 2026.
