President Lai Ching-te is praising the progress being made in the Navy's
ongoing domestic shipbuilding project.

He made the comments as he took part in a keel-laying ceremony for an
indigenous light frigate prototype.

Lai said it took the company about a year to reach the second phase of
constructing the light frigate prototype.

The president called that an achievement by the Kaohsung-based Zhong-Xin
Shipbuilding... and it was a major milestone in the country's indigenous ship
and aircraft construction project.

The frigate will have domestically built anti-ship and anti-air missiles; it
will be responsible for patrolling seas around the island.

The vessel is one of two being built by the Kaohsiung-based shipbuilding
firm.

The other is an anti-submarine prototype, both of which are scheduled to be
delivered to the Navy by October 2026.

The vessels are being developed to respond to situations in the "gray zone,"
to patrol the Taiwan Strait, conduct reconnaissance and surveillance
missions, to escort transport ships to remote islands, and to secure sea
lines of communication.