Taiwan Equips Coast Guard Patrol Vessel Wanli with Anti-Ship Missiles for Wartime Drills

In a significant move to boost maritime defense, Taiwan's Coast Guard has fitted the Anping-class patrol vessel Wanli (CG-609) with anti-ship missiles as part of its ongoing Han Kuang 41 military exercise, held from July 9 to 18, 2025. The transformation of Wanli from a regular coast guard ship to a war-capable platform is part of Taiwan’s strategic plan to convert peacetime assets for combat use during emergencies.

The vessel, normally used for patrol and rescue missions, was armed with eight Hsiung Feng II (HF-2) and eight Hsiung Feng III (HF-3) missiles at Su’ao Naval Base on July 10. The HF-2 is a subsonic, turbojet-powered missile with a range of 160–250 km, guided by inertial navigation, radar, and infrared seekers. The HF-3, Taiwan’s supersonic missile, reaches speeds of up to Mach 3.5 and can strike targets between 150–400 km away, depending on the variant. Both missile types are designed to evade electronic interference and are manufactured by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology.

These weapons are not typically installed during peacetime. However, the Anping-class vessels were purposely built with modular slots to rapidly receive missile systems during wartime. This flexibility is central to Taiwan’s “fitted for but not with” concept, allowing civilian vessels to be militarized within 24 hours without compromising their regular law enforcement duties.

The missile systems are operated not by Coast Guard personnel, but by Taiwanese Navy specialists, including a tactical director, fire control supervisor, and missile technicians. The integration was a vision promoted by former Vice Admiral Lee Chung-wei, who championed the idea of the Coast Guard serving as a “second navy” in times of crisis.

The Wanli (CG-609) is the seventh ship in the Anping-class, modeled after the Navy’s Tuo Chiang-class stealth corvette, and built by Jong Shyn Shipbuilding. It features a catamaran hull, aluminum superstructure, and is 65.4 meters long, capable of speeds up to 44.5 knots. The ship is equipped for surveillance, law enforcement, and search and rescue, including a 20mm remote-controlled turret, high-pressure water cannon, rocket launchers, and RHIB deployment systems.

During Han Kuang 41, no live missile firings are scheduled for Wanli. Instead, the Navy will verify the systems post-exercise. This approach reflects Taiwan’s national defense policy of rapid, modular militarization of civil platforms.

This year's exercise simulates Chinese amphibious invasions, missile attacks, and “gray-zone” scenarios, involving all branches of Taiwan’s military. Army units deployed CM11 tanks near Taoyuan, fighter jets like Mirage 2000s and F-16s were moved to hardened shelters, and naval corvettes patrolled Taiwan’s eastern coast. Additionally, U.S. Marine Corps officers participated in planning, signaling closer defense cooperation.

This adaptation of coast guard ships for missile deployment also seeks to offset the military imbalance with China, whose navy has over 400 combat vessels, including Type 055 destroyers and aircraft carriers. Taiwan’s Navy, in comparison, is smaller and relies on layered defense strategies—which now include armed patrol vessels.

While the modular approach increases flexibility, the Anping-class vessels lack integrated air defense systems, leaving them vulnerable to air attacks. Questions have also been raised about the aluminum hull’s survivability, though Taiwan’s Coast Guard maintains the vessels meet endurance standards up to Beaufort scale 9 conditions.

Ultimately, the missile integration on Wanli is more than just an exercise; it's a strategic message about Taiwan's preparedness, adaptability, and commitment to defending its sovereignty through innovative use of dual-use assets. Whether this approach can be scaled rapidly in an actual conflict remains to be seen, but for now, Wanli stands as a floating symbol of Taiwan’s evolving defense strategy.