Taiwan's coast guard puts a 45-knot patrol boat into service on the Matsu front line

Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration has added a new high-speed patrol boat to its unit in Matsu, the outlying island group that the unit describes as lying on the country's front line. The boat, PP-35103, was commissioned at a ceremony at Fuao Harbor in Nangan Township on 10 November, according to a release from the Fleet Branch's 10th (Matsu) Coast Guard Unit that was also reported by ETtoday and Taiwan News.

The ceremony was led by the Fleet Branch's chief secretary. Lienchiang County Magistrate Wang Chung-ming, county council speaker Chang Yung-chiang and the commander of the Matsu Defence Command attended, along with national and local elected representatives, judicial officials, military representatives and the local fishermen's association, the Matsu Daily reported.

In its release, the coast guard said Matsu's scattered islands and unusual sea conditions place heavy demands on the speed and responsiveness of its craft. PP-35103 has an aluminium alloy hull, two high-speed main engines and water-jet propulsion. Its top speed is 45 knots, or about 83 kilometres an hour, and its range is 600 nautical miles, about 1,111 kilometres. The unit said that combination allows the boat to move quickly between the islands and through nearshore waters to deal with emergencies as they arise.

The boat also carries a high-pressure firefighting system that can be operated remotely from the wheelhouse and has a reach of 60 metres. The coast guard said the system improves its ability to handle fires at sea and to carry out emergency rescues around the islands.

The Matsu unit said its area of responsibility sits on the national border, where its crews must respond to intrusions by cross-border vessels, illegal activity at sea and a range of rescue calls. It said the new boat would make its patrol deployments more flexible and improve the effectiveness of its law enforcement and emergency response. The unit added that it would keep strengthening its patrols, crack down firmly on violations and protect the rights of local fishermen.

Speaking at the ceremony, Wang said coast guard personnel had long held the first line of the national border and carried an important responsibility for maritime patrols and national security. He said the new boat would further add to patrol and rescue capacity at sea, and he thanked the unit for its medical support to local residents and for keeping order in local waters, according to the Matsu Daily.

PP-35103 belongs to the coast guard's 35-ton class of small patrol boats. In September, the Su'ao unit in Yilan commissioned the sister boat PP-35102, which has the same top speed, range, aluminium hull and water-jet layout, the Liberty Times reported at the time.

That report said the class has a shallow draught and nimble handling suited to nearshore work and fast response, and that its firefighting system pumps about 70,000 litres of water an hour. The paper said the Su'ao unit's patrol boat fleet grew to eight with the arrival of PP-35102. The Matsu releases did not say how many boats the unit now operates or what PP-35103 cost.