Penghu: The 1,000-tonne Lienchiang patrol cutter made its maiden voyage Thursday from Magong Port in Penghu County, joining the Coast Guard’s fleet responsible for law enforcement in waters off the offshore county. A ceremony was held at the port to mark the occasion, presided over by Coast Guard Administration (CGA) Fleet Branch Deputy Head Yang Chao-ching.

According to Focus Taiwan, the Lienchiang will be charged with patrolling waters north and south of Penghu, expelling Chinese fishing vessels on Taiwan’s fishing sites, and shadowing Chinese coast guard ships that intrude into Taiwan-controlled waters. This vessel is the third in Taiwan’s initiative to locally build 141 patrol vessels and is significantly larger than its 500-tonne CGA sister ship of the same name, measuring 98.5 meters in length and 13.2 meters at its widest points.

The new patrol cutter will join fellow 1,000-tonne patrol cutter The Pingtung and 10 other Coast Guard ships of various types at the CGA Penghu flotilla, as stated by Yang.
Also present at the ceremony was Penghu Magistrate Chen Kuang-fu, who boarded the ship to inspect its armaments and equipment.

The Coast Guard cutter boasts a maximum speed of 24 knots and a range of 6,000 nautical miles (11,100 kilometers). It is outfitted with the Zhenhai Rocket System, which consists of six rocket pods each containing seven 2.75-inch (70mm) rockets, a remote-controlled naval turret armed with a 20mm automatic gun, and water cannons with a range of 120 meters. Additionally, it is furnished with a helicopter deck and two patrol boats each with a peak speed of 36 knots.