The Cheng Kung class frigates are based upon the U.S. Oliver Hazard Perry class and are currently serving in the Republic of China

Republic of China

The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...

 (Taiwan) Navy

Republic of China Navy

The Republic of China Navy is the maritime branch of the Armed forces of the Republic of China . The ROC Navy's primary mission is to defend ROC territories and the sea lanes that surround Taiwan against a blockade, attack, or possible invasion by forces of the People's Republic of China...

 (ROCN). The frigates were produced under license by China Shipbuilding Corporation in Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...

, Taiwan

Taiwan

Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

 throughout the 1990s as part of the "Kuang Hua 1" Patrol Frigate, Guided project and served as the mainstay of the ROCN's theater air defense prior to the ROCN's acquisition of Keelung (Kidd) class destroyers

Kidd class destroyer

The Kidd class guided missile destroyers were a series of four warships based upon the hull of the Spruance class destroyers. These ships were originally ordered by the Shah of Iran for service in the Persian Gulf in an air defense role...

 in 2005.

In order to control new weapon systems on the frigate, which Mk 92 can't integrate at the time, a second CDS, H930 MCS was installed in order to control the 8 HF-2 (or four HF-2 and four HF-3 on certain ships) and the two Bofors 40mm/L70 guns. But Mk 92's Harpoon mode was deleted due to US government refused to sell Harpoon to Taiwan at the time. Also deleted were some of Mk 92's ASW modes, plus refusing to sell SQR-19 Towed Array sonar system.

Originally only two lead ships were going to be built to this standard, the rest of the six ships in the class were going to be built under ACS (Advance Combat System) project with a lighter AEGIS (that later became SPY-1F), 48-64 cell Mk 41 VLS and other systems, and a 15-meter plug-in section. Delay in design and budget changed the project to four ships in PFG-1101 configuration and last 4 ships in ACS configuration, then more delays changed to 6+2, then 7+1. By mid 1990s, ROCN decided ACS project was way to risky, too long and way over budget, and finally canceled it after 7th ship of PFG-1101 standard was built. But enough of the long lead items were already purchased that in the late 2000 ROCN decided to go ahead with the 8th ship's construction with PFG-1101 configuration—minus the two Bofors 40mm/L70 guns, after getting necessary funding.

Upgrades

The Cheng Kung class was initially fitted with 8 x Hsiung Feng II

Hsiung Feng II

The Hsiung Feng II is an anti-ship missile system developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology in Taiwan. The HF-2 is designed to be deployed aboard ships or at land-based facilities, an airborne version has also been developed which can be carried by the ROC Air Force's F-CK...

 ship-to-ship missiles, instead of the Harpoon

Boeing Harpoon

The Harpoon is an all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile system, developed and manufactured by McDonnell Douglas . In 2004, Boeing delivered the 7,000th Harpoon unit since the weapon's introduction in 1977...

 missiles that the Oliver Hazard Perry class use. In 2001, ROCS Cheng Kung (成功, PFG-1101) was refitted with four Hsiung Feng III

Hsiung Feng III

The Hsiung Feng III is the third in the Hsiung Feng series of anti-ship missiles developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology in Taiwan...

 missiles, replacing four of the Hsiung Feng II missiles. In 2009 ROCS Chi Kuang (繼光, PFG-1105) was seen with same configuration. All the other ships in the class will received the new missile upon their major overhaul. Originally, all HF-2 missiles were to be removed, while 4-8 Harpoon to be carried in Mk 13 launcher's magazine (with necessary upgrade to the ship's Mk 92 CDS which had Harpoon control mode and functionality deleted when ship was built), and 8 HF-3 supersonic AShM to put in place of 8 HF-2 AShM, giving these ships total of 12-16 anti-ship missiles. But the Legislative Yuan stopped the ROCN from buying Harpoon missiles from US for this upgrade, and ROCN had to settle for just 4 HF-2 and 4 HF-3 configuration. Also all ships being installed with Link 16 datalink.

Ships

Ships in class
Name	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Home port	Status
ROCS Cheng Kung (成功, PFG-1101) ROCS Cheng Kung (FFG-1101) ROCS Cheng Kung is the lead ship of eight Cheng Kung-class guided-missile frigates, which are based on the Oliver Hazard Perry-class of United States Navy. Laid down on 2 December 1990 and launched on 27 October 1991, Cheng Kung was commissioned in service on 7 May 1993...	December 21, 1990	October 5, 1991	May 7, 1993	Pescadores Pescadores The Penghu Islands, also known as Pescadores are an archipelago off the western coast of Taiwan in the Taiwan Strait consisting of 90 small islands and islets covering an area of 141 square kilometers....	Active
ROCS Cheng Ho (鄭和, PFG-1103) ROCS Cheng Ho (FFG-1103) The second of eight Taiwanese-built frigates based on the Oliver Hazard Perry-class. Laid down on 21 December 1991 and launched on 15 October 1992, Cheng Ho was commissioned in service on 28 March 1994...	October 29, 1991	October 15, 1992	March 28, 1994	Pescadores Pescadores The Penghu Islands, also known as Pescadores are an archipelago off the western coast of Taiwan in the Taiwan Strait consisting of 90 small islands and islets covering an area of 141 square kilometers....	Active
ROCS Chi Kuang (繼光, PFG-1105) ROCS Chi Kuang (FFG-1105) Chi Kuang was the third of eight Taiwanese-built frigates based on the Oliver Hazard Perry-class. Laid down on 4 October 1992 and launched on 27 September 1993, Chi Kuang was commissioned in service on 7 March 1995...	October 30, 1992	October 3, 1993	March 4, 1995	Pescadores Pescadores The Penghu Islands, also known as Pescadores are an archipelago off the western coast of Taiwan in the Taiwan Strait consisting of 90 small islands and islets covering an area of 141 square kilometers....	Active
ROCS Yueh Fei (岳飛, PFG-1106) ROCS Yueh Fei (FFG-1106) ROCS Yueh Fei , is a Cheng Kung-class guided-missile frigate of the Republic of China Navy. Yueh Fei was laid down on 5 September 1992 by the China SB Corp., in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, launched on 26 August 1994, and commissioned in February 1996...	September 5, 1993	August 28, 1994	February 26, 1996	Pescadores Pescadores The Penghu Islands, also known as Pescadores are an archipelago off the western coast of Taiwan in the Taiwan Strait consisting of 90 small islands and islets covering an area of 141 square kilometers....	Active
ROCS Tzu I (子儀, PFG-1107) ROCS Tzu I (FFG-1107) ROCS Tzu I is the fifth of eight Taiwanese-built frigates based on the Oliver Hazard Perry-class. Laid down in 7 August 1994 and launched 13 July 1995, Tzu I was commissioned in service in January, 1997...	August 7, 1994	July 13, 1995	January 9, 1997	Pescadores Pescadores The Penghu Islands, also known as Pescadores are an archipelago off the western coast of Taiwan in the Taiwan Strait consisting of 90 small islands and islets covering an area of 141 square kilometers....	Active
ROCS Pan Chao (班超, PFG-1108) ROCS Pan Chao (FFG-1108) ROCS Pan Chao is the sixth of eight Taiwanese-built frigates based on the Oliver Hazard Perry-class. Laid down in July 1995 and launched in May 1996, Pan Chao was commissioned in December 1997...	July 25, 1995	July 3, 1997	December 16, 1997	Pescadores Pescadores The Penghu Islands, also known as Pescadores are an archipelago off the western coast of Taiwan in the Taiwan Strait consisting of 90 small islands and islets covering an area of 141 square kilometers....	Active
ROCS Chang Chien (張騫, PFG-1109) ROCS Chang Chien (FFG-1109) ROCS Chang Chien is the seventh of eight Taiwanese-built frigates based on the Oliver Hazard Perry-class. Laid down in June 1996 and launched in April 1997, Chang Chien was commissioned in November, 1998...	December 4, 1995	May 14, 1997	December 1, 1998	Pescadores Pescadores The Penghu Islands, also known as Pescadores are an archipelago off the western coast of Taiwan in the Taiwan Strait consisting of 90 small islands and islets covering an area of 141 square kilometers....	Active
ROCS Tian Dan (田單, PFG-1110) ROCS Tian Dan (FFG-1110) For the Warring States Period general of the same name see Tian DanROCS Tian Dan is the eighth ship of Cheng Kung-class guided-missile frigate of the Republic of China Navy, which was based on Oliver Hazard Perry-class of the United States Navy...	February 22, 2001	October 17, 2002	March 11, 2004	Pescadores Pescadores The Penghu Islands, also known as Pescadores are an archipelago off the western coast of Taiwan in the Taiwan Strait consisting of 90 small islands and islets covering an area of 141 square kilometers....	Active

External links

• Globalsecurity.org Article