Pointblank
Senior Member
Another thing why navies prefer to sink their own ship designs is to test ship designs, damage control methods, and to help train crews in the important of damage control.
If Taiwan acquires the Tichonderoga cruiser
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Seacraft
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I don't see the vailiant people of Taiwan getting a Burke or Tico either. And I know this has been discussed (though not sure here) about if the Spruances are too expensive to be run by other navies would a few fit in with the ROC navy? One or two Spruance Destroyers with Standard missiles? Not there are many left.
Pointblank
Senior Member
Taiwanese already have a variant of the Spruance in service; the Kidd destroyers. The Kidd's are considered a subclass of the Spruance, in that are a version of the Spruance with better air defence capabilities, and have additional features that make them more suitable for hot climates.
The Kidd class DDG is actually slightly larger than the Spruance class DDG.
On the USN Spruance class DDG, they replaced the ASROC launcher with a 61-cel Mk.41 VLS, vastly improving the ship's firepower.
If the ROCN Kidd class DDG's can have its Mk 26 standard missile launchers and the Mk 112 ASROC launcher replaced by Mk.41 VLS system, and replacing 1 or 2 of the Phalanx CIWS with 21-cel RAM launchers (plus associated electronic/software upgrades), it'd make the ship more survivable against saturated AShM attacks.
IMO ROCN needs to upgrade its existing ship's capability, and improve domestic shipbuilding rather than buying hand-me downs from the US.
On the USN Spruance class DDG, they replaced the ASROC launcher with a 61-cel Mk.41 VLS, vastly improving the ship's firepower.
If the ROCN Kidd class DDG's can have its Mk 26 standard missile launchers and the Mk 112 ASROC launcher replaced by Mk.41 VLS system, and replacing 1 or 2 of the Phalanx CIWS with 21-cel RAM launchers (plus associated electronic/software upgrades), it'd make the ship more survivable against saturated AShM attacks.
IMO ROCN needs to upgrade its existing ship's capability, and improve domestic shipbuilding rather than buying hand-me downs from the US.
D
Deleted member 675
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Easier said than done. The Kuang Hua-V corvettes still haven't got off the drawing board, for example - though the Kang Ding upgrade reportedly started last year (funding approved for 2006 and 2007).
In the mean time, they could improve capability by upgrading existing ships. I think the US would be willing to export Sea RAM since it's defensive weapon like Phalanx.
Unless if the ROC develop its domestic ship-building capability, they're going to be begging for scraps from the USN forever. The US has to consider PRC relations whenever they export big ticket items to Taiwan, but smaller, sub-systems would be easier to slip through, or licensed production.
D
Deleted member 675
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Problem is that SeaRAM, of course, costs money. At the moment the Taiwanese armed forces aren't rolling in cash. Maybe over the next year or so with the budget going up they will be able to consider such upgrades at a later date.
That is true, but Taiwan isn't helped by the fact it doesn't get much (if any) help from outside when it comes to military shipbuilding. China has had a fair amount of Russian help - the US doesn't seem that eager to make Taiwan self-sufficient.
If R&D is completed on the Kuang Hua-V project and building begins, maybe then Taiwan will be better able to provide for its navy. However it is still a long-term goal. It certainly hasn't helped that the KMT froze construction on the Kwang Hua-VI project due to some silly dispute over the punishment of an official - I don't know if that has resumed yet or not.
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Yes, it looks like Taiwan has the money but their legislators choose not to spend more on their military. It's going to hurt them long-term. The Japanese are smarter in this regard. They purchase US weaponry, but they do a lot of the work in Japan and they have a very good Navy for their money. Taiwan might get caught without back-up if the US Military is busy someplace else.
Hey, maybe Taiwan can buy US-derived warships that are retiring from the Japanese Navy.
The_Zergling
Junior Member
Yes, it looks like Taiwan has the money but their legislators choose not to spend more on their military. It's going to hurt them long-term. The Japanese are smarter in this regard. They purchase US weaponry, but they do a lot of the work in Japan and they have a very good Navy for their money. Taiwan might get caught without back-up if the US Military is busy someplace else. Hey, maybe Taiwan can buy US-derived warships that are retiring from the Japanese Navy.
You have to consider this issue from the viewpoint of the Taiwanese: They feel they are being overcharged for second-rate US military equipment, and with the GDP indicating negative growth for several years the public is questioning whether or not it is wise to spend more on military items that may not even see service (note the recent arms deal that was stalled for so long, with the diesel submarines which would take at least 15 years to complete delivery)
The general consensus is that all the equipment in the world can't save Taiwan because of its geographical disadvantage, and money can be used in a much more cost-effective fashion by improving first-strike survival capabilities, i.e. by hardening bunkers and runways, building tunnels, etc.
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