The Taiwanese Navy is moving forward with planning an ambitious surface-fleet renewal program that envisions building ten new light frigates with air-defense and anti-submarine capabilities between 2028 and 2040. The project is being presented in a context shaped by the gradual deterioration of a large portion of the current fleet and by the need to strengthen maritime defense capabilities in response to China’s growing naval power in the Taiwan Strait and adjacent waters.
According to information released by the Ministry of National Defense, these future frigates would displace around 2,500 tons and would be conceived as escorts for littoral and high-intensity operations, with an emphasis on air defense and anti-submarine warfare, integrating as a key component of Taiwan’s navy.
In this regard, the plan foresees the gradual induction of at least ten new frigates, enabling a phased replacement of older ships while sustaining a steady operational level over the coming decades. The initiative largely responds to the need to modernize an aging fleet that is, in significant part, made up of second-hand vessels acquired or transferred from partner countries in previous decades. Of the 26 frigates currently in Taiwan’s inventory, several are of U.S. and French origin and have more than 40 years of service—such as the Cheng Kung-class and the Kang Ding-class—which, despite periodic upgrades, face growing limitations in terms of sensors, combat systems, and logistical sustainment.
In that sense, Taiwan is not only seeking to replace obsolete platforms, but also to improve the survivability and lethality of its escorts by adopting more compact designs with reduced signatures, prepared to operate in highly contested environments—especially given the capabilities fielded by the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).
However, the light frigate program is not without challenges. The first two prototypes, whose construction had been planned for this decade, have already faced delays linked to budgetary, technical, and industrial factors, underscoring the complexity of developing new naval combatants on tight timelines. Even so, Taiwanese authorities argue that experience gained during this initial phase will be critical to stabilizing the long-term production schedule.
The decision to build these frigates domestically is also aimed at strengthening Taiwan’s defense industrial and technological base, reducing external dependence amid a period of increasing military deployments in the region. If executed as planned, the ten-frigate program would represent one of Taiwan’s largest naval modernization efforts in recent decades, marking a path toward sustaining a credible and capable naval force in the face of the regional security environment.
Images used for illustrative purposes.
You may also like: The Taiwanese Air Force will move forward with the purchase of up to 10 new C-130J Super Hercules aircraft from the U.S, instead of modernizing its older Hercules fleet
