Taiwan deploys minelaying ships to defend against China

The Taiwanese Navy has deployed two minelaying ships from its Zuoying naval base to bolster the country’s maritime defenses amid increasing tensions with China.

Commissioned as part of the island’s first two minelaying squadrons, the two new minelayers will automatically lay large numbers of small but powerful sea mines without the need for divers.

According to vessel producer Lungteh Shipbuilding, each minelayer is 41 meters (134 feet) long and 8.8 meters (28 feet) wide. It also has a reported full-load displacement of 347 tons.

The ships are armed with T-75 20-millimeter cannons, T-74 7.62-millimeter machine guns, and three mine-laying tracks. They are also equipped with an automatic mine-laying system developed by the National Chung-shan Institute of Science and Technology.

The Taiwanese Navy allocated $33 million to build four fast minelaying ships to enhance its maritime defense around the island. The vessels will be delivered by the end of 2021.