Taiwan launches ‘carrier killer’ corvette as it strengthens defences against mainland China attack

The Ta Jiang is armed with anti-ship missiles and stealth technology that will allow it take out much larger vessels

The domestically produced warship, along with a new high-speed minelayer, are part of a programme to develop the island’s asymmetric warfare capacity

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Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen disembarks after inspecting a ship during the naming ceremony for the Ta Jiang corvette. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 8:00pm, 15 Dec 2020Updated: 10:22pm, 15 Dec 2020

Taiwan has launched its first missile corvette designed to take down an aircraft carrier as it seeks to bolster its defences against a possible attack from mainland China.

The new “carrier killer”, along with a high-speed minelayer launched earlier this year, was domestically produced and designed to play a key role in the island’s asymmetric warfare strategy to counter the much larger force the People’s Liberation Army can muster.

Beijing, which considers Taiwan part of its territory and has not renounced the use of force to return it to its control, has ramped up the pressure against the island since President Tsai Ing-wen was elected in 2016 and refused to accept the one-China principle.

At a ceremony to launch the new corvette – named the Ta Jiang – at a shipyard in Suao in northeast Taiwan on Tuesday, Tsai said the new ships were a sign of Taiwan’s determination to defend its waters and promote the local defence industry.

“In countering the enemy’s threats … in constructing our defensive power, we should employ the concept of asymmetric warfare to deter incoming attacks from the enemy,” she said.

The corvette – which has a displacement of 700 tonnes and a top speed of 45 knots (83km/h) – uses state-of-the-art stealth technology to avoid detection and is equipped with subsonic missiles that can destroy targets on land or sea, such as an aircraft carrier. It can also operate in shallow or coastal waters where larger vessels such as destroyers and frigates find it hard to operate.