Panshih-class fast combat support ship

The Panshih-class fast combat support ship (磐石級補給艦)[1] is a single-ship class of the Republic of China Navy used to refuel, rearm, and resupply ROC Navy and allied ships.[2] The class is named for Pan Shih mountain in Hualien County.

Panshih in 2015
Class overview
Builders: CSBC Corporation, Taiwan, Kaoshiung, Taiwan
Operators:  Republic of China Navy
Preceded by: ROCS Wu Yi
Cost: $130m USD
Completed: 1
Active: 1
General characteristics
Type: Fast combat support ship
Displacement: 20,859 long tons (21,194 t)
Length: 643 ft (196.0 m) (overall)
Beam: 82 ft (25.0 m)
Draft: 28 ft (8.5 m)
Speed: 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)
Range: 8,000 nmi (15,000 km; 9,200 mi)
Complement: 165
Armament:
  • 1 x Sea Chaparral
  • 2 × 20 mm Phalanx CIWS
  • 2 x 40 mm cannon
  • Multiple 20 mm cannon
  • Multiple .50 caliber machine guns
  • Small arms
Aircraft carried: SH-60 Seahawk or CH-47 Chinook
Aviation facilities: Hangar space for up to three medium-sized helicopters
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen addresses sailors from the fantail of Pan Shih
ROCN Panshih (AOE-532) shipped at No.3 East Pier of Zuoying Naval Base

History

The lead ship of the class, Panshih, was laid down at CSBC Corporation, Taiwan's Kaoshiung shipyard in December 2012 and launched in November 2013. She was designed by the Ship and Ocean Industries R&D Center.[3]

Design

Primarily a supply and support vessel, the Pan Shih class also has military transport, maritime rescue, and humanitarian assistance capabilities. The vessel has a significant medical wing with an operating theater, a dental room, three regular wards and an isolation ward.[4] The class has the ability to refuel two ships at once and will help the Republic of China Navy to project power around the globe, particularly in the humanitarian assistance disaster relief (HADR) role. Taiwan has few enemies; barring war with the People's Republic of China, the class will most likely only be used for military operations other than war.[5]

2020 COVID-19 pandemic
Main article: COVID-19 pandemic on naval ships

On 18 April 2020, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung reported that three naval cadets, interning on one of the ships of the Dunmu fleet, had tested positive for coronavirus.[lower-alpha 1][7] All three cadets were in their 20s, with one case showing symptoms as early as 12 April before seeking medical attention on 15 April, when the ship returned to Taiwan.[7] There were 337 people aboard the same ship as the cadets.[7] Over 700 sailors serving in the three-ship fleet have been placed in quarantine.[8]

A Dunmu fleet is formed annually, and this iteration of the Dunmu fleet was formed on 20 February 2020 consisting of the following three ships:

The three cadets had boarded the ship on 21 February, and the fleet left Zuoying Naval Base on 5 March 2020 for a goodwill visit with Palau.[7][9][6] The fleet stayed at Palau from 12 March to 15 March 2020, although the size restrictions at the port in Palau meant that only Kang Ding entered the port.[9] After departing Palau, the fleet remained at sea for roughly a month before returning to Zuoying Naval Base on 15 April.[lower-alpha 2][6][9]

On 19 April, Taiwan announced that a further 21 sailors of the Dunmu fleet had tested positive, bringing the total number of cases to 24.[10] All 24 cases were found aboard Pan Shi.[11]

The goodwill mission has been criticized for pictures of sailors not wearing masks appearing on social media.[11] Vice Admiral Mei Chia-Shu, Navy Deputy Commander, stated that as Palau had no reported cases of coronavirus at the time, such a decision was made after consulting with Taiwan's embassy in Palau.[11] In response to the outbreak Taiwan's Navy deployed quick Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests for COVID-19 aboard major vessels.[12]

See also

Notes
  1. Taiwan has numbered them Cases 396, 397, and 398.[6]
  2. One source mentions that the fleet actually returned to the base on 9 April 2020, and the soldiers were placed in isolation for six days before they were allowed to disembark on 15 April.[9] It is unclear whether the ship docked before, during, or after the isolation period.

References
  1. "National Defense". english.ey.gov.tw. Executive Yuan. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  2. Writer, Staff. "Navy debuts logistical support ship 'Panshih'". taipeitimes.com. Taipei Times. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  3. "ROC Navy started sea trials of its new fast combat support ship AOE 532 "Panshi"". Navyrecognition.com. Navy Recognition. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  4. Panda, Ankit. "The Taiwanese Navy's Newest Ship: The Panshih". thediplomat.com. The Diplomat. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  5. Thim, Michael. "NEW SHIP BOOSTS TAIWAN'S HADR CAPABILITIES". cimsec.org. Center for International Maritime Security. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  6. "CECC confirms 3 more imported COVID-19 cases; cadets confirmed to have COVID-19". www.cdc.gov.tw.
  7. "Taiwan confirms 3 new cases of COVID-19, in military: CECC - Focus Taiwan". focustaiwan.tw.
  8. News, Taiwan. "Taiwan adds 3 Navy trainees as imported coron..." Taiwan News.
  9. "國軍稱做好準備 敦睦艦隊為何還是確診 - 政治 - 自由時報電子報". 自由電子報. April 19, 2020.
  10. "新增敦睦遠訓支隊21例確診，1例境外移入確診". www.cdc.gov.tw.
  11. "Navy apologizes for COVID-19 infections on ship, defends mission - Focus Taiwan". focustaiwan.tw.
  12. Ming-shuan, Chang; Hsiung-feng, Chang; Yu, Matt; Lim, Emerson. "Taiwan military vessels to be equipped with COVID-19 tests". focustaiwan.tw. Focus Taiwan. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
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