The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) Fleet Branch held a joint ceremony at Jong Shyn Shipbuilding Company for the delivery of the 10th 600-ton patrol vessel, CG612 Suao, and the naming and launching of the 11th vessel, CG613. The event, presided over by Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling, brought together distinguished guests to witness the latest progress of the “Coast Guard
Vessel Construction Mid-Term Development Program.”
The Suao, the 10th in the 600-ton series, is about 65 meters long and 14.8 meters wide, with a top speed of 40 knots and a range of
2,000 nautical miles, making it capable of long-duration missions. It is equipped with high-pressure water cannons and a RHIB,
allowing for firefighting, law enforcement, and search-and-rescue operations. With a low-resistance hull design and enhanced living quarters, the vessel offers both improved performance and better quality of life for crew members.
Meanwhile, CG613 was officially named Lanyu under the government’s “Salute to the Sea” policy, with a traditional christening
(bottle-breaking) ceremony to bless its safe construction. Upon completion, it will be deployed to the Eastern Mobile Coast Guard
Squadron to enhance law enforcement capacity in eastern waters. Minister Kuan noted that Suao, named by Premier Cho Jung-tai in
January, was officially delivered nine months later—demonstrating the government’s determination to safeguard sovereignty
amid maritime challenges. She highlighted the symbolic significance of inviting Indigenous legislator Wu Li-hua to serve as
sponsor of the christening ceremony, embodying diversity and shared commitment to defending the nation.
Minister Kuan further emphasized that the Anping-class patrol vessels are designed for both peacetime and wartime missions and
have already achieved significant results. These include rescuing the Taiwanese fishing vessel Fu Yang 266 after a fire near the
Diaoyutai area, intercepting Vietnamese stowaways and a large haul of cannabis, and the Cijin is key role in investigating the Hong
Tai 58 freighter’s severing of the Taipeng-3 submarine cable. The class has also participated in the Ministry of National Defense’s
Han Kuang Exercise and live-fire precision strike drills, demonstrating operational value in law enforcement, rescue, and sovereignty defense. She thanked the Executive Yuan and Legislative Yuan for their strong support, which resolved past budget shortfalls and
ensured smooth progress of the shipbuilding program.
The Fleet Branch reaffirmed that with each new vessel delivered, the Coast Guard will continue to uphold its mission of “maintaining maritime order and safeguarding the people.” Going forward, the CGA will flexibly deploy vessels across five core missions: law enforcement, search and rescue, fisheries protection, maritime services, and marine conservation—demonstrating its resolve to remain
“always present at sea, unceasing in protection.”
