The Taiwan Coast Guard Administration (TCGA) patrol catamaran Qijin launched a locally built Hsiung Feng III (HF-3) supersonic anti-ship missile during an exercise on Friday, September 18.
The Anping-class cutter fired at a decommissioned Republic of China Navy (ROCN) frigate from about 50 nautical miles away, striking the vessel during a sinking exercise. Another TCGA unit subsequently launched a subsonic Hsiung Feng II (HF-2) missile at the target.
The firings formed part of Taiwan’s Tri-Service Joint Precision Missile Launch exercise, held at Jiupeng in Pingtung County from September 16 to 18. The TCGA has participated in the exercise for two consecutive years.
The Ocean Affairs Council said the activity was intended to improve coordination between the coast guard and the armed forces, including their ability to conduct joint operations and respond to maritime security incidents.
The launch demonstrated the wartime conversion arrangements built into Taiwan’s 12 Anping-class patrol vessels.
In peacetime, the ships carry out sovereignty patrols, anti-smuggling work and fisheries enforcement, while retaining deck space and connections for anti-ship missile modules.
Each vessel can be equipped with up to 16 HF-2 or HF-3 surface-to-surface missiles. A September report on the conversion procedure said installation can be completed within several hours after a cutter reached a designated military port.
Coast guard crews will remain responsible for shiphandling, engineering, firefighting and damage control.
An ROCN weapons team of about four to six personnel will embark to operate the missiles and receive targeting data, with the vessel passing to navy command after conversion.
President Lai Ching-te observed launchers being installed aboard an Anping-class vessel during Taiwan’s Han Kuang war games last August. The firing demonstrated the missile capability.
The 600-tonne catamarans are modified versions of the Taiwan Navy’s Tuo Chiang-class fast attack craft. Built by Jong Shyn Shipbuilding, they have a maximum speed of 44 knots and a range of 2,000 nautical miles.
Their peacetime equipment includes two 20mm autocannons, 70mm unguided rockets and a water cannon.