DEFENSE/President Tsai attends keel-laying ceremony for anti-air light frigate

Kaohsiung, Nov. 17 (CNA) Jong Shyn Shipbuilding Co. held a keel-laying ceremony Friday for one of two light frigate prototypes it has been commissioned to build by Taiwan's government, amid the country's bid to achieve defense autonomy.

The program represents Taiwan's commitment to defense modernization as a 2,500-tonne anti-air frigate will be built, according to President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), who presided over the ceremony.

"Keel-laying" is a term used in the shipbuilding industry to formally recognize the start of a vessel's construction, including for submarines, which do not have keels.

"Light frigates, with their smaller tonnage and shorter construction periods, will allow our Navy to reduce wear and tear on main warships during missions and provide greater flexibility in manpower deployment," said Tsai, who was given a frigate model as a gift and shown how a waterjet is used to cut steel sheets at the ceremony.

Following construction of the anti-air frigate, the company will start building an anti-submarine prototype, both of which are scheduled to be delivered by 2026, according to the Kaohsiung-based shipbuilder.

In a press release from the Ministry of National Defense, the ministry said the NT$9.05 billion (US$295 million) project will help Taiwan counter China's gray-zone threats in a more cost-effective way.

Gray-zone tactics are generally defined as coercive actions that do not meet the threshold of conventional warfare. They can refer to Chinese aircraft flying maneuvers not far from Taiwan or China's use of fishing fleets to stake out waters at sea.

Taiwan unveiled its first Indigenous Defense Submarine "Narwhal" in September, which is seen as crucial in the Navy's efforts to develop asymmetric combat capabilities and other key strategies.

Since it began operations in 1985, Jong Shyn has established a reputation for building fishing vessels, ferry boats, working ships, tug boats, aluminum boats, and vessels for the Navy and the Coast Guard.

The shipbuilder mainly builds steel and aluminum vessels, while providing maintenance services for various types of ships.

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