Taipei: The Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) announced its request for NT$29.56 billion (US$973.55 million) under a special budget to fund the construction of 40 new patrol vessels and enhancements to maritime surveillance capabilities.
According to Focus Taiwan, the Cabinet revealed a NT$550 billion budget proposal earlier, which includes the OAC’s portion, as a response to potential impacts from United States tariffs and China’s military maneuvers in the region. OAC Minister Kuan Bi-ling, speaking at a Cabinet news conference, explained that the proposed budget would support the procurement of drones, artificial intelligence applications, and the establishment of visible light and infrared systems to improve round-the-clock surveillance.
Kuan highlighted that these efforts aim to address the issue of poor visibility during nighttime surveillance missions. Of the total proposed budget, NT$8.7 billion is earmarked to partially fund the construction of the 40 new vessels from 2025 to 2033. This includes 12 vessels in the 2,000-ton class, 14 in the 300-ton class, and another 14 in the 100-ton class.
Kuan emphasized, “We will position the 12 2,000-ton vessels as our main fleet.” She further detailed that if the budget is approved by the legislature, the NT$8.7 billion will cover the design, contracting, and keel laying of the planned vessels until 2027.
