Taiwan Commissions First Batch 2 Tuo Chiang Corvette
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- ROCS Tan Chiang (PGG-627) was commissioned on July 24, 2026, as the first Batch 2 Tuo Chiang-class corvette and the eighth vessel in the class overall, at Tsoying Naval Base.
- President Lai Ching-te presided over the ceremony, joined by Defense Minister Wellington Koo, NSC Secretary-General Joseph Wu, and Navy Commander Admiral Chiang Cheng-Kuo.
- All 12 Tuo Chiang-class corvettes are scheduled for delivery and commissioning by the end of 2026, with the five Batch 2 hulls under construction since 2024 and due between March and December 2026.
- Batch 2 corvettes carry the Leonardo NA-30S Mk2 fire-control radar, replacing the STIR 1.2 EO Mk2 used on the first six hulls after France refused to approve Thales radar exports to Taiwan.
- Tsoying Naval Base is described as Taiwan's largest naval facility, where the commissioning ceremony took place.
- Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense outlines Tuo Chiang-class missions spanning peacetime patrols, escort of transport vessels to offshore islands, and wartime roles including counter-blockade operations, minelaying, and missile-boat command.
Why it matters: France's refusal to approve Thales radar exports forced Taiwan to switch Batch 2 corvettes to Italian Leonardo systems, showing how allied export-control decisions can directly reshape Taiwan's domestic warship program. With all 12 Tuo Chiang-class corvettes due by year-end, Taiwan is racing to expand its blue-water surface fleet capable of counter-blockade and sea-control missions against a numerically superior adversary.
