Coast Guard takes delivery of 11th 600-ton Anping-class patrol corvette

Kaohsiung, Feb. 13 (CNA) Taiwan's Coast Guard on Friday took delivery of its latest 600-ton corvette, the CG613 Lanyu (蘭嶼艦), the 11th in its class.

The vessel was handed over to the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) by Jong Shyn Shipbuilding Group, during a ceremony presided over by Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) Deputy Minister Chang Chung-lung (張忠龍).

In his speech, Chang announced that the vessel was named the Lanyu by OAC Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) last October in response to a government ocean conservation initiative.

Lanyu is the transliteration of the Chinese name for Orchid Island, a famous diving spot that is also frequented by green sea turtles for nesting.

The corvette highlights the government's determination to boost ocean management, ocean security and outlying island development, Chang said.

The name also recognizes Taiwan's Indigenous peoples, as the offshore location is mainly inhabited by indigenous Tao people, whose culture is closely connected to the ocean, Chang added.

Taiwan's Anping-class corvettes are part of a 10-year, NT$42.6 billion (US$1.3 billion) program to build 141 vessels of six different types for the CGA between 2018 and 2027, which includes the construction of 12 indigenous 600-ton corvettes.

According to the CGA, the Lanyu measures 65 meters in length and 14.8 meters in width.

The vessel can reach speeds of up to 40 knots and has a range of 2,000 nautical miles.

Other than emergency response and rescue missions, the vessel is equipped with a water cannon which provides an additional deterrent to Beijing's increasing gray zone tactics, said the administration.