Taiwan to get Kidd-class destroyers by year-end

Taiwan to get warships from US by year-end

Taipei: Taiwan will begin taking delivery of four US Kidd-class destroyers before year's end to boost its defences against China, a military official said Tuesday.

NewKerala

"Two of the four vessels are undergoing testing and training in the US," Rear Admiral Lee Hao said at a news conference.

"Both have passed the tests by the US Atlantic Fleet. Test-firing of Standard II anti-air missiles on the vessels will be held in October."

"The two warships will depart from the Charleston port in South Carolina for Taiwan via the Panama Canal in November and are expected to arrive in Taiwan before the end of the year," Lee added.

The Kidd-class destroyers are part of a $18.2 billion arms-sale package approved by US President George W. Bush in 2001.

The sale also includes six sets of PAC-3 anti-missile systems, eight diesel submarines and 12 P-3C anti-submarine aircraft.

The Taiwan parliament, however, has been blocking the budget for PAC-3, P-3C and subs, arguing that their prices are too high and delivery too late.

The four destroyers meant for Taiwan joined the US Navy between 1981 and 1982 and were decommissioned in 1998 and 1999 after having served half their service life. Since then they have been in storage.

The 9,000-tonne destroyers' radar has a search range of 400 km, and its Standard II missiles can hit at a distance of 150 km.