The first of Taiwan's Tuo River-class stealth corvettes launched earlier this year was designed especially to counter the radar and command center of China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, Aleksey A Maslov, the director of the Centre for Chinese Studies at the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia has told the website of RTR-Planeta based in Moscow.
Though known as carrier-killers, the Tuo River-class corvette was not developed to actually sink the Chinese carrier, Maslov said. However, this class of vessel has the capability to conduct electronic warfare against the carrier's radar and communication systems, hindering its ability to launch its fighters and helicopters.The ROC Navy plans to build between eight and 12 Tuo River-class stealth corvettes in the near future.Tuo River, the lead ship in the class, entered service in March. In addition to its electronic warfare capabilities, the corvette also boasts powerful weapons systems. It can carry eight Hsiung Feng II and eight Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missiles, one Otobreda 76mm gun, one close-in weapon system and two 12.7mm machine guns.
As the PLA Navy begins to deploy more advanced and modern warships, asymmetrical warfare becomes the only option for Taiwan's navy. With its relatively small size, Tuo River-class stealth corvettes can be deployed from smaller ports. The ship's hull uses an aluminum alloy which offers protection against magnetic mines.
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