Taiwan’s Upgraded ‘Chengde Warship’ Conducts First Sea Trial with Vertical Launch System

作者智能小编

7 月 30, 2025 #seatrials, #凤凰网-军事

NEWS 新闻

Kaohsiung, Taiwan – The Chengde warship (PFG1208) of the Taiwan military conducted its first sea trial on the morning of July 28th after undergoing a major upgrade and refit at the CSBC Corporation, Taiwan shipyard in Kaohsiung. This marks a significant milestone in Taiwan’s efforts to bolster its naval defense capabilities.

The Chengde is the sixth of Taiwan’s six Kang Ding-class frigates and was selected as the prototype test ship for the Combat System Performance Enhancement Project targeting this class of vessel. The upgrade is primarily focused on strengthening the ship’s air defense and missile defense systems, which were previously considered weak.

According to budget documents from Taiwan’s military, a total of NT$43.1599 billion (approximately RMB 9.668 billion at the then exchange rate) has been allocated from 2022 to 2030 to upgrade all six Kang Ding-class frigates.

The most notable modification to the Chengde is the replacement of the original manually operated Sea Chaparral air defense missile launcher at the B-position on the bow with the Hua Yang vertical launch system (VLS) developed by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST). According to local media reports, the ship is equipped with a set of 8-cell VLS, capable of accommodating up to 32 Sea Sword II ship-to-air missiles in a quad-pack configuration.

In addition to the VLS, the Chengde has also seen its original French Sea Tiger G air/surface search radar on the aft mast replaced with a BAE Systems Type 997 rotating single-sided active phased array radar. Furthermore, a new Thales CAPTAS-1 towed array sonar has been installed.

According to Taiwanese media reports, the contract between the Taiwan military and the shipyard stipulates that the performance enhancement and related testing of the Chengde warship are expected to be completed before September of this year. The remaining five Kang Ding-class frigates are scheduled to undergo similar upgrades, one ship per year, starting next year.

Conclusion:

The upgrade of the Chengde warship and its subsequent sea trial represent a significant step forward in Taiwan’s efforts to modernize its naval fleet and enhance its defensive capabilities. The integration of the indigenous Hua Yang VLS and advanced radar and sonar systems will undoubtedly improve the Kang Ding-class frigates’ ability to respond to modern maritime threats. The successful completion of this project will be crucial for Taiwan’s overall defense strategy in the coming years.

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