Navy 'confident' of warship readiness despite auditor's concerns

Taipei, July 30 (CNA) Taiwan's Navy on Tuesday insisted that it is "confident" it can maintain its warships' combat-readiness, following a report issued by the National Audit Office a day earlier that said half of the country's warships have not completed routine maintenance as scheduled.

In its Central Government Budget Audit Report released on Monday, the National Audit Office warned that 14 out of the 26 main battleships of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Navy, or 53.85 percent, were not following routine maintenance schedules.

Those warships had delayed their maintenance cycles by one to 10 months, affecting the vessels' armament and equipment stability, and potentially impacting military deployment capabilities, said the report, citing data compiled as of July 2023.

In response to the auditor's warning, Navy Deputy Chief of Staff Rear Admiral Shih Wu-chiao (施武樵) admitted on Tuesday that Naval warships have made some "adjustments" in their missions due to "cross-strait relations and operations on the sea by Chinese forces" since 2022.

"We are confident that a certain level and robustness in the status of our warships will be maintained," he added, implying that increased operations by China's military in waters near Taiwan in recent years have not significantly impacted the Navy's ability to ensure combat readiness.