Hsun Hai-class corvette

Hsun Hai (Swift Sea) Is a research and development program for a planned stealthy, multi-mission, and state-of-the-art 900-1000 ton missile corvette for the ROCN. The program was announced by the Ministry of National Defense (MND) on April 12, 2010. Local media has dubbed the vessel as a "Carrier Killer". Given the ability to counter future Chinese aircraft carriers, the vessel is expected to be armed with its domestic Hsiung Feng (Brave wind) III ship-to-ship missiles. Digital images of the vessel were made public at the Armed Forces Museum in Taipei, The concept shows a ship armed with what appear to be eight surface-to-surface Hsiung Feng III missiles launchers, a Phalanx Close-In Weapons System for air defense and a 76mm bow gun. The ship will be developed by the Naval Shipbuilding Center in Kaohsiung. Sources indicate that the vessel will be 130 feet long and capable of cruising up to 30 kn. A helicopter deck in the drawings suggests that the vessel might participate in anti-submarine warfare by hosting S-70C or 500MD helicopters from the Navy's three ASW squadrons. Taiwan Security Analysis Center (TAISAC) stated that the ship will be featuring technologies to help evade radar detection, a combat system that include a distributed-architecture combat direction system developed by the military-run Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology "together with an indigenous search/track and fire-control radar and electro-optical director". According to TAISAC director Fu S. Mei. On December 14, 2010 the ROCN has explained that the program has been delayed due to lack of budget. On April 18, 2011 a top military officer and a lawmaker announced that the construction of a 500 ton prototype wil begin in 2012. In the Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition in 2013, the Navy unveiled a model of the Hsun Hai-class corvette.