The Kang Ding class is Taiwan's version of the French La Fayette frigate design, built by DCNS for the Republic of China Navy. Six ships entered Taiwanese service in the 1990s. Because Taiwan needed to integrate domestic and US-supplied weapons, the class differs from French ships in combat-system and missile fit.
The class uses a reduced-signature frigate hull and carries Hsiung Feng anti-ship missiles, guns, close-in defense, torpedoes, and an S-70C(M) helicopter. Its original air-defense fit was limited, which has driven later upgrade programs. The design is best understood as a patrol, ASW, and surface-combat frigate rather than an area air-defense ship.
Kang Ding-class frigates are important to Taiwan's surface fleet and operate in a demanding Taiwan Strait environment. Their modernization, including sensors and air-defense improvements, reflects the need to keep 1990s-era hulls relevant against modern missile and submarine threats.
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