Kaohsiung: Another Knox-class frigate Taiwan purchased from the United States that has been in use by Taiwan's Navy for nearly three decades will be decommissioned soon, a military source told CNA on Saturday.

According to Focus Taiwan, the Lan Yang (FFG-935), a Chi Yang-class frigate belonging to the Republic of China (Taiwan) Navy that began service in Taiwan in 1995, will be decommissioned sometime in mid-January in a ceremony in Kaohsiung, as per the unnamed source. Following its decommissioning, the frigate will be stripped of its weapon and radar systems before being used by the Navy for target practice, the source added.

The Lan Yang is the third Chi Yang-class frigate, previously known as U.S. Knox-class frigates, to be retired after nearly 30 years of service with Taiwan's Navy. It was formerly the USS Joseph Hewes (FF-1078) while in service with the U.S. Navy.

In the 1990s, the United States agreed to transfer eight Knox-class frigates to Taiwan. These vessels were reclassified as Chi Yang-class frigates and began their service in Taiwan's Navy between 1993 and 1999. The Navy previously retired two other Chi Yang-class frigates, the Chi Yang (FFG-932) and Hai Yang (FFG-936), in May 2015, following the acquisition of two new frigates from the U.S., which made maintaining the aging Knox-class frigates financially unfeasible.

Currently, there are no announced plans for the decommissioning of the remaining five Knox-class frigates still in service.