Taiwan to build 10 new Light Frigates for air defense and anti-submarine warfare.

Taiwan plans to construct ten new light frigates optimized for air defense and anti-submarine warfare, with service entry planned between 2028 and 2040.

As reported by USNI News on February 6, 2026, Taiwan plans to construct ten new light frigates optimized for air defense and anti-submarine warfare under a long-term naval shipbuilding program. The 2,500-ton class is intended to replace aging surface combatants and support sustained patrol, escort, and monitoring missions in the Taiwan Strait and adjacent waters between 2028 and 2040.
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The ten follow-on frigates build on prototype work that began with two initial ships, one for each configuration, with construction activity starting in 2023 for the air defense variant and in 2024 for the anti-submarine variant. (Picture source: Taiwan MoD)

More precisely, Taiwan plans to construct ten new light frigates dedicated to air defense and anti-submarine warfare missions, with entry into service scheduled between 2028 and 2040. The program centers on a new 2,500-ton light frigate class and represents a core element of Taiwan’s long-term naval renewal effort. Funding priorities show that anti-air and anti-submarine projects account for $7.8 billion out of a $9.9 billion allocation covering six major shipbuilding initiatives overseen by the Ministry of National Defense. The light frigates are intended to sustain continuous patrol, escort, and deterrence missions in the Taiwan Strait and nearby waters while replacing aging ships that face growing operational strain.

The ten ships are evenly divided between two configurations, with five vessels optimized for air defense and five focused on anti-submarine warfare. They follow the construction of two prototype frigates, one per configuration, with the air defense prototype starting construction in November 2023 and the anti-submarine prototype in January 2024. Delivery of these two initial ships is scheduled for the end of October 2026, after which authorities will decide on full-scale production of the remaining ten units. In parallel with the frigate program, the Taiwanese fleet planning framework also includes a submarine rescue ship, a fast combat support ship, two rescue vessels, and a 10,600-ton amphibious assault ship, indicating a broader effort to rebalance surface combat, logistics, and support capabilities.

The Taiwanese light frigates are based on an international design developed by Gibbs & Cox and adapted to Taiwan’s operational requirements. The air defense variant possesses a hull measuring 96 meters in length, 21 meters in beam, and a draft of 3.3 meters, while the anti-submarine variant adopts a longer hull of 116 meters with the same beam and draft to support sonar systems and quieter operations. Early design targets centered on a 2,500-ton displacement, but internal revisions increased the size close to 3,000 tons and length to 120 meters to provide sufficient internal volume for sensors, weapons, and future upgrades. The finalized configuration visually resembles a scaled-down version of the U.S. Constellation-class frigate.

The Light Frigate program responds directly to the retirement of Cold War-era Knox-class frigates and the continued reliance on older American and French designs, including Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates, La Fayette-class frigates, and Kidd-class destroyers. These ships are frequently tasked to intercept and monitor Chinese naval units operating near Taiwan’s maritime zones, creating sustained pressure on availability and maintenance cycles. The new light frigates are intended to absorb a significant share of these routine missions while offering improved air defense coverage and dedicated anti-submarine capabilities. At the same time, questions are raised within planning circles about balancing the survivability and speed of larger frigates against the lower cost and higher agility of missile corvettes already in service.

Missile corvettes play a parallel role in Taiwan’s naval posture, with smaller vessels carrying domestically produced subsonic and supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles. The Tuo-chiang class is publicly associated with a tactic centered on launching missile salvos and withdrawing at high speed, earning the label “carrier killers” in local narratives. This context frames part of the debate surrounding the light frigates, particularly whether larger hulls with lower acceleration can realistically operate in close proximity to more numerous and modern People’s Liberation Army Navy surface combatants (it should be noted, however, that the Battle of Samar on October 25, 1944, demonstrated that such a scenario could be successful). The Taiwanese light frigate program, therefore, sits within a broader force-mix discussion that weighs endurance, sensor reach, and command functions against speed and signature reduction.

Close-range defense and patrol functions are addressed through the integration of the XTR-102A2 dual-tube 20 mm remote weapon system, selected in place of previously considered 30 mm remotely operated cannons. Developed by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, the XTR-102 family combines optoelectronic targeting with remote operation and includes the single-tube XTR-101 and the dual-tube XTR-102 variants. The ship-mounted XTR-102A2 uses twin T-75 20 mm guns with a firing rate ranging from 400 to 1,200 rounds per minute and a maximum effective range of 2,000 meters, optimized for engaging drones, fast boats, and other small surface or aerial threats. The same system is already deployed across multiple Taiwanese naval and coast guard vessels, supporting commonality and training continuity.

The origins of the light frigate program trace back to delays in the Zhenhai Project, which initially aimed to field a new-generation frigate of about 4,500 tons. Budget continuity was preserved while the concept shifted toward a smaller hull using a rotating-array radar rather than a four-sided fixed-array system. An earlier concept unveiled in 2018 outlined a 1,400-ton ship measuring 85 meters in length, powered by two diesel engines, capable of 30 knots, and offering a range of 2,200 nautical miles at 12 knots, with a weapons fit including a 76 mm gun, anti-ship missiles, air-defense missiles, and anti-submarine torpedoes. Subsequent planning milestones in 2022 aligned the program toward a 2,500-ton light frigate, citing the growing presence of Type 053H3, Type 054A, and Type 056A ships as a driver for the revised requirements, and confirming that ten follow-on ships would complement the two prototypes.

Industrial execution assigns combat system integration to the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, while hull construction was opened to domestic competition and awarded to Jong Shyn Shipbuilding Company in May 2023, with the contract entering force on May 12. The two prototypes are funded under a total budget of NT$20 billion, including NT$4.6 billion for the air-defense ship and NT$4.45 billion for the anti-submarine ship, with additional allocations covering missiles, radars, and combat management integration. Construction milestones include steel cutting in late 2023 and early 2024, structural assembly ceremonies in November 2024 at the Xingao Shipyard in Kaohsiung City, and a planned handover by October 2026. Once operational, the ten additional light frigates are expected to become a backbone of Taiwan’s surface fleet through 2040, supporting patrol, escort, and deterrence missions while ensuring continuity as older ships are decommissioned.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.