Republic of China Navy

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Republic of China Navy

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The Republic of China Navy (中華民國海軍; pinyin: Zhōnghuá Mínguó Hǎijūn) is the maritime branch of the Armed forces of the Republic of China (Taiwan). 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. Operations include maritime patrols in the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, as well as counter-strike and counter-invasion operations during wartime. The Republic of China Marine Corps functions as a branch of the Navy.

The ship prefix for ROCN combatants is ROCS (Republic of China Ship); an older usage is CNS (Chinese Navy Ship).

Contents 1 Organization 2 History 2.1 1911 - 1949 2.2 1949 - present 3 Equipment 3.1 Surface Combatants 3.2 Submarines 3.3 Fast Attack Missile Craft 3.4 Minesweepers 3.5 Amphibious 3.6 Support 3.7 Aircraft 4 See also 5 References & notes 6 External links

[edit] Organization

Republic of China Navy
Naval Jack of the Republic of China
Active	1924-present
Country	Republic of China
Size	23,000 Sailors, 30,000 Marines (2004 est.)
Commanders
Commander In Chief, ROCN	Admiral Kao, Kuang-Chi
Insignia
Insignia

• Navy General Headquarters (海軍總司令部)

Navy GHQ is subordinate to the General Staff, the Minister of Defense, and the ROC President.

• Internal units: Personnel, Combat Readiness & Training, Logistics, Planning, Combat Systems, General Affairs, Comptroller, Inspector General, Political Warfare.
• Naval Fleet Command (艦隊司令部)

• 124th Fleet: Tsoying District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
• 131st Fleet: Keelung, Keelung City, Taiwan
• 146th Fleet: Makung, Penghu
• Amphibious Fleet (151st Fleet), Tsoying District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
• 168th Fleet: Suao, Yilan County, Taiwan
• 192nd Fleet (Navy Mine Fleet): Tsoying District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
• 256th Submarine Squadron
• Hai Chiao PGMG Guided Missile Gunboat Group (海蛟大隊)
• Aviation Command

• Marine Corps Command (陸戰隊司令部)
• Education, Training and Doctrine Command(教育訓練暨準則發展司令部)
• Logistics Command (後勤司令部)
• Naval Academy, Hydrographic & Oceanographic Bureau, Shipbuilding Development Center, Communication Systems, General Service.

Sources:^[1][2][3]

[edit] History

[edit] 1911 - 1949

See also Naval history of China.

The precursor to the modern ROC Navy was established as the Ministry of the Navy in the Provisional Government of the Republic of China in 1911 following the overthrow of the Qing dynasty. During the period of warlordism that scarred China in the 1920s and 1930s the ROCN remained loyal to the Kuomintang government of Sun Yat-sen instead of the warlord government in Beijing. During that time and throughout World War II, the ROCN concentrated mainly on riverine warfare as the poorly equipped ROCN was not even close to Japan over ocean or coast.^[4]

Following World War II, a number of Japanese destroyers and scrapped US ships were transferred to the ROC Navy. During the Chinese Civil War, the ROCN was involved in the protection of supply convoys and the ultimate withdrawal of the ROC Government and over 1+ million refugees to Taiwan in 1949. The subsequent reorganization and reestablishment of the Navy after evacuation to Taiwan is referenced in the lyrics of the post 1949 ROC Navy Song "The New Navy" (新海軍).

[edit] 1949 - present

Following the relocation of the ROC government to Taiwan, the ROCN was involved in a number of commando attack escorts, evacuation and transport more soldiers displaced and later to provide patrols and resupply operations to Kinmen and Matsu in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea offshore islands.

Since the 1990s the Navy has grown in importance as the emphasis of the ROC's military doctrine moves towards countering a possible PRC blockade, as well as offshore engagement. The ROCN has been working hard to expand its capability in electronic and anti-submarine warfare, as well as the replacement of its current antiquated fleet.^[2]

[edit] Equipment

See also: List of ships of the Republic of China Navy

Traditionally, most ROCN equipment is purchased from the United States, though several ships have been built domestically under licence or through domestic development. The ROCN has also purchased Lafayette class frigates from France and Zwaardvis class submarines from the Netherlands as well as well as four Kidd class (renamed Keelung) destroyers originally for Iran.

Despite the ROCN refurbishing and extending the service life of its vessels and equipment, it has suffered from procurement difficulties due to pressures exerted from the Chinese Government. It has only two useful submarines. The US has approved sales of eight new diesel powered submarines but lacks the manufacturing capability to make the engines; at the same time, threats from China prevent the necessary technology transfer from other countries. Furthermore, the Taiwanese legislature did not approve the budget and thereby slowed the opportunity to procure the badly needed underwater defense capability.

On 2007-09-12, an arms notification was sent to Congress concerning an order for 12 P-3C Orion patrol aircraft and 3 "spare aircraft", along with an order for 144 SM-2 Block IIIA surface-to-air missiles.^[5] A contract was awarded to Lockheed Martin to refurbish the 12 P-3C Orion aircraft for Taiwan on 2009-03-13, with deliveries to start in 2012.^[6]

On 2008-10-03, an arms notification was sent to Congress for an order for 32 Harpoon Block II missiles.^[7][8]

[edit] Surface Combatants

Class	Number of ships	Builder	Origin
Kee Lung class destroyer (Kidd class)	4	Ingalls Shipbuilding	United States
Cheng Kung class frigate (Oliver Hazard Perry class)	8	CSBC Corporation, Taiwan	Republic of China
Chi Yang class frigate (Knox class)	8	Lockheed Shipbuilding/Avondale Shipyard	United States
Kang Ding class frigate (La Fayette class)	6	DCNS	France

[edit] Submarines

Class	Number of ships	Builder	Origin
Hai Lung class submarine (Zwaardvis class)	2	Rotterdam Dockyard Company Submarines	Netherlands
Hai Shih class submarine (Tench class)	2	Portsmouth Naval Shipyard	United States

[edit] Fast Attack Missile Craft

Class	Number of ships	Builder	Origin
Ching Chiang class patrol ship	12	CSBC Corporation, Taiwan	Republic of China
Kuang Hua VI class missile boat	30 (class completed by 2010)	CSBC Corporation, Taiwan	Republic of China
Hai Ou class missile boat (Dvora class)	48	IAI Ramta	Israel

[edit] Minesweepers

Class	Number of ships	Builder	Origin
Yung Yang class minesweeper (Aggressive class)	4	JM Martinac Shipbuilding Corp	United States
Yung Feng class (MMW50 class)	4	Abeking & Rasmussen	Germany

[edit] Amphibious

Class	Number of ships	Builder	Origin
Hsuhai class (Anchorage class)	1	General Dynamics-Quincy	United States
Chung Ho class (Newport class)	2	Philadelphia Naval Shipyard	United States
Chung Hai class (LST-1)	10	Newport News Shipbuilding	United States
Mei Chin class (LSM-1)	4	Charleston Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co.	United States

[edit] Support

Class	Number of ships	Builder	Origin
Wu Yi class fleet oiler	1	CSBC Corporation, Taiwan	Republic of China
Ta De (Bolster class) ARS-556 salvage tug - ex-USS Recovery (ARS-43)	1	Basalt Rock Inc.	United States
Tai Hu (Diver class) salvage tug ex-USS Grapple (ARS-7)	1	Basalt Rock Inc.	United States
Ta Tung (Cherokee class) fleet tug	1	Charleston Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co.	United States
Ta Kuan oceanographic research ship	1	CSBC Corporation, Taiwan	Republic of China
Chung Bai (Patapsco class) coastal logistics tankers	2	Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Co.	United States
Wu Kang class coastal transports	6	CSBC Corporation, Taiwan	Republic of China
Wan An coastal transport	1	CSBC Corporation, Taiwan	Republic of China
Tai Wu coastal transport	1	CSBC Corporation, Taiwan	Republic of China

[edit] Aircraft

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	In service[9]	Notes
Grumman S-2 Tracker	United States	Maritime patrol aircraft	S-2T Turbo Tracker	4	22 retired
Lockheed P-3C Orion	United States	Maritime patrol aircraft	P-3C Orion	12	Ordered
Sikorsky S-70 Seahawk	United States	Naval utility/ASW helicopter	S-70C(M)-1 Super Blue Hawk	21
Hughes 500MD Defender	United States	ASW helicopter	Hughes 500MD Defender	9

[edit] See also

• People's Liberation Army Navy
• Political status of Taiwan

[edit] References & notes

[edit] External links

• ROC Navy website
• Globalsecurity.org report on the ROC Navy

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