Taiwan plans to build LHD (Update)

Taiwan’s Deputy Defense Minister Pai Hunghui told brief legislators that the Republic of China Navy will initiate a tender this year to build an amphibious assault ship that comes with a straight deck for helicopter operations. on the Republic of China Navy’s ship building plans for the long-term on Jun. 20. He was questioned by lawmakers in the morning after the local media reported in advance the previous day on what the Navy plans to reveal at a press event later that afternoon.

By U.S. Navy & Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding (NGSB) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Chief of Navy Mei ChiaShu added that the 22-year shipbuilding plan also called for a new-class of indigenous AEGIS-type destroyer to replace the Knox-class currently in service.

There are 12 projects the RoCN plans to execute and this is projected to cost the tax payer $14 billion.

According to Mei, one of those projects is to build an amphibious assault ship that comes with a straight deck for helicopter operations.

But later in the afternoon, the Navy’s presentation only contain 11 projects. The LHD concept was missing from the power point slides.