Taiwan's Missile Ship Enters Into Service

Taiwan’s “stealth and speed” ship, named 'Tuo Chiang' ('Tuo River') armed with 16 missiles, has entered into the service on Tuesday.

The 500-tonne corvette will be deployed following the ceremony at the southern Tsoying naval base, the company AFP reported Tuesday.

It is the prototype for up to 11 others to be built for the navy. The sleek twin-hulled ship uses stealth technology to reduce the reflection of radar waves, making it harder to detect.

Taiwan in December announced a new project to produce advanced homegrown surface-to-air missiles from 2015 as part of efforts to build an air defense shield.

It has also announced a move to build its own submarines, which were "crucial" to its defense, President Ma Ying-jeou said Tuesday.

The Taiwanese navy currently operates a fleet of four submarines, but only two of them can be deployed in the event of war. The other two were built by the United States in the 1940s and are too old for combat.