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	ROCS Kang Ding
History
Taiwan
Name	Kang Ding; (康定);
Namesake	Kang Ding
Builder	DCNS, Lorient
Laid down	1 February 1994
Launched	22 March 1994
Acquired	18 May 1996
Commissioned	24 May 1996
Homeport	Zuoying
Identification	Pennant number: PFG-1202
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class and type	Kang Ding-class frigate
Displacement	3,200 tonnes, 3,800 tonnes fully loaded
Length	125 m (410 ft)
Beam	15.4 m (51 ft)
Draught	4.1 m (13 ft)
Propulsion	4 diesel SEMT Pielstick 12PA6V280 STC2, 21,000 hp (16,000 kW)
Speed	25 kn (46 km/h; 29 mph)
Range	4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph); 9,000 nmi (17,000 km; 10,000 mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph);
Endurance	50 days of food
Boats & landing ; craft carried	2 × ETN boats
Capacity	350 tonnes of fuel, 80 m³ of kerosene, 60 tonnes of potable water
Complement	12 officers; 68 petty officers; 61 men;
Sensors and ; processing systems	1 × CastorII fire control radar; 1 x DRBV-26D Jupiter-II two-dimensional air search radar; 1 x Poseidon Triton G search radar; Najir photoelectric director; Alose Sonar System;
Armament	Anti-ship;; 8 × Hsiung Feng II anti-ship missiles; 1 x MIM-72 Chaparral; 2 x Mark 32 Surface Vessel Torpedo Tubes; Guns;; 1 × OTO Melara 76 mm; 2 × Bofors 40 mm L70 guns; CIWS;; 1 × Phalanx CIWS;
Armour	On sensitive areas (munition magazine and control centre)
Aircraft carried	1 × Sikorsky S-70C (M)
Aviation facilities	Hangar and helipad

ROCS Kang Ding (PFG-1202) is a Kang Ding-class frigate of the Republic of China Navy.

Development and design

As the ROC (Taiwan)'s defensive stance is aimed towards the Taiwan Strait, the ROC Navy is constantly seeking to upgrade its anti-submarine warfare capabilities. The US$1.75 billion agreement with France in the early 1990s was an example of this procurement strategy,^[1] the six ships are configured for both ASW and surface attack. The Exocet was replaced by Taiwan-developed Hsiung Feng II anti-ship missile and the AAW weapon is the Sea Chaparral. The main gun is an Oto Melara 76 mm/62 mk 75 gun, similar to its Singaporean counterparts, the Formidable-class frigates. Some problems in the integration of Taiwanese and French systems had been reported. The frigate carries a single Sikorsky S-70C(M)-1/2 ASW helicopter.

The Sea Chaparral SAM system is considered inadequate for defense against aircraft and anti-ship missiles, so the ROC (Taiwan) Navy plans to upgrade its air-defense capabilities with the indigenous TC-2N in 2020.^[2] The missiles will be quad-packed in a vertical launch system for future ROCN surface combatants,^[3] but a less-risky alternative arrangement of above-deck, fixed oblique launchers is seen as more likely for upgrading these French-built frigates.

Construction and career

Kang Ding was launched on 22 March 1994 at the DCNS in Lorient. Commissioned on 24 May 1996.

Mid-Life Upgrade

The Kang Ding class was originally intended to be equipped with Aster-15 and Arabel 3D / X-band multi-functional radar. However, due to cost and political difficulties, the upgrade never materialised. However, since 2019 a limited upgrade program has begun. In 2020, ROCN signed a contract to upgrade the DAGIE decoy system to the DAGIE MK2, which will permit the deployment of more advanced decoys and chaff such as SEALEM (RF for distraction and seduction), SEALIR (IR for distraction and seduction) and REM rockets.^[4] It was also observed that the Oto Melara 76 mm/62 mk 75 gun was upgraded with a new cupola with angled surfaces for signature reduction. In 2022, a deeper upgrade of the Kang Ding was announced, with the progressive installation of Huayang VLS for the TC-2N missile and upgraded Xunlian command and control systems across the entire fleet by 2025.

Guang Da Xing No. 28 incident

In May 2013, Hong Shicheng, the captain of Guangxing 28, was killed by the Philippine Coast Guard’s fire on a Taiwanese fishing boat, which led to tensions between Taiwan and the Philippines. For this reason, the Southern Regional Patrol Bureau of the Coastal Patrol Administration of the Republic of China Executive Yuan’s Coastal Patrol Bureau announced on May 12. Kang Ding and the Jiyang-class missile frigate, formed a joint fleet to go to the waters around Taiwan and the Philippines to strengthen maritime patrols.^[5]^[6]^[7]