1,000-tonne Coast Guard patrol cutter sets off on maiden voyage from Penghu

Taipei, Dec. 5 (CNA) The 1,000-tonne Lienchiang patrol cutter made its maiden voyage Thursday from Magong Port in Penghu County, joining the Coast Guard's fleet responsible for law enforcement in waters off the offshore county.

A ceremony was held at the port to mark the occasion, presided over by Coast Guard Administration (CGA) Fleet Branch Deputy Head Yang Chao-ching (楊朝卿).

The Lienchiang will be charged with patrolling waters north and south of Penghu, expelling Chinese fishing vessels on Taiwan's fishing sites, and shadowing Chinese coast guard ships that intrude into Taiwan-controlled waters, according to the CGA.

The third in Taiwan's initiative to locally build 141 patrol vessels, the 1,000-tonne Lienchiang is significantly larger than its 500-tonne CGA sister ship of the same name, measuring 98.5 meters in length and 13.2 m at its widest points.

The Lienchiang will join fellow 1,000-tonne patrol cutter The Pingtung and 10 other Coast Guard ships of various types at the CGA Penghu flotilla, Yang said.

Also present at the ceremony was Penghu Magistrate Chen Kuang-fu (陳光復), who boarded the ship to inspect its armaments and equipment.

The Coast Guard cutter has a maximum speed of 24 knots and a range of 6,000 nautical miles (11,100 kilometers) and is outfitted with the Zhenhai Rocket System, which consists of six rocket pods each containing seven 2.75-inch (70mm) rockets; a remote-controlled naval turret armed with a 20mm automatic gun; and water cannons with a range of 120 m.

Additionally, it is furnished with a helicopter deck and two patrol boats each with a peak speed of 36 knots.