Keel laid for future Taiwanese LPD

By Baird Maritime - June 17, 2020.

Taiwanese shipbuilder CSBC Corporation has laid the keel for a new landing platform dock (LPD) slated for the country’s navy.

The vessel will be the first in a new class of two locally-built LPDs to be operated by Republic of China Navy (RoCN). It will have an LOA of 153 metres, a beam of 23 metres, a draught of six metres, and a displacement of 10,600 tonnes at full load.

The vessel will have space for up to 673 troops in addition to its crew and its well deck will be capable of accommodating smaller landing craft and amphibious assault vehicles. Defensive armament will include surface-to-air missiles and rapid-fire guns.

The LPD will be used primarily for amphibious warfare but will also be capable of carrying out disaster relief and operating as a temporary hospital. Delivery is expected in April 2022.

The contract for the construction of the two LPDs has an approximate value of TWD18 billion (US$607 million).