CSBC corporation lays keel for the first LPD of the Taiwanese Navy

A model of the Amphibious Transport Dock

Taiwan’s CSBC Corporation has hosted a keel-laying ceremony for the Taiwanese Navy’s first-ever indigenously-built amphibious transport dock on 9th June.

The ceremony took place in Kaohsiung and was attended by defense ministry and navy officials.

CSBC is building the 153-meter ship under a contract worth around $155 million from 2018. Construction on the ship started in May 2019, while its delivery is scheduled for 2022.

The yet-to-be-named ship will have a displacement more than 10,000 tons and a range of 7,000 nautical miles. It will support amphibious combat and transport tasks, including supporting special operations and mine-laying. It will also be used for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions.

CSBC noted that it has signed contracts with the Taiwan defense ministry for the construction of coast guard patrol ships, four 1,000-ton patrol vessels and fifteen 100-ton patrol ships, with deliveries scheduled to take place in the next few years.