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A domestically produced prototype missile boat will be launched later this month as part of Taiwan's efforts to beef up its naval defense capabilities, the Navy said Sunday.
The launch ceremony for the prototype, which is around 500 tons, is slated to take place March 14 in Suao in the northeastern county of Yilan, the Navy said.
The Lung Teh Shipbuilding was commissioned to build the high-performance boat, a type of patrol craft.
The Navy is planning to to add eight to twelve of the new missile boats to its fleet, according to an anonymous source.
The boat is expected to be equipped with weapons including the Hsiung Feng III and Hsiung Feng II missiles, the source told CNA.
With a range of about 150 kilometers, the supersonic Hsiung Feng III is described as an "aircraft carrier killer." It is manufactured by the Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology in Taoyuan, the Defense Ministry's main research and development unit.
The project to build a new missile boat was implemented as China continues to expand its naval fleet and develop aircraft carriers.
Taiwan to launch new prototype missile boat later this month|Politics|News|WantChinaTimes.com