Keel laid for Taiwan’s first indigenous landing platform dock

A scale model of the Taiwanese LPD. Photo c/o Naval News.

Taiwanese shipbuilder China Shipbuilding Corporation (CSBC) laid the keel of the first indigenous landing platform dock (LPD) on 9 June 2020.

Among those present were the Commander of the Republic of China Navy (ROCN) Admiral Liu Zhibin, and CSBC Chairman Zheng Wenlong.

The 10,600-ton ships were ordered with CSBC under a contract worth NT$4.6 billion (US$156 million) for the construction of the first ship,  as part of the ROCN’s Hongyun Project which costs NT$18 billion (US$610 million).

The ROCN is expecting the first ship to be delivered to them by April 2022.

The new LPD will provide the ROCN and the Republic of China Marine Corps (ROCMC) with enahcned amphibious capabilities, with a secondary role as a hospital ship and for humanitarian relief. It was designed to carry amphibious assault vehicles, landing crafts, trucks and armored vehicles, and up to 673 fully-equpped soldiers.

The ships will be armed with a variety of defensive guns and missile systems. Based on the scale model of the ship, it will probably be armed with an Oto Melara 76mm Super Rapid naval gun, two Phalanx close-in weapon systems, and TC-2N surface-to-air missiles. It is also expected for the ship to be armed with the Hsiung Feng II or III anti-ship missiles.


[1] Naval News
[2] Baird Maritime