Taiwan transfers decommissioned patrol vessel to the Philippines — Taipei Times
Taiwan has transferred a decommissioned 500-ton Kinmen-class patrol vessel to the Philippine Coast Guard. The ship was handed over during a ceremony organized by the Philippine non-governmental organization WPS Foundation, Taipei Times reports.
Confirmation of the transfer
Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration confirmed the donation after the United Daily News published a report about the vessel registered as BLINGNO.1. Citing data from the VesselFinder service, the newspaper reported that the ship had left the port of Kaohsiung for sea trials.
United Daily News visually identified the vessel as the decommissioned 500-ton Lienchiang ship bearing the number CG-125. At the time, however, Taiwan's coast guard did not disclose the vessel's technical specifications or name its recipient.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Vessel transferred for civilian tasks
WPS Foundation stated that, after completing the necessary legal, administrative and technical procedures, the ship came under the management of the Philippine Coast Guard for civilian maritime needs.
WPS Foundation President and CEO Jeffrey Ordaniel said that the transfer was intended to help save lives, protect the country's maritime spaces and strengthen the Philippine Coast Guard's capacity to assist fishermen, seafarers and coastal communities. The MaxDefense platform reported that WPS Foundation may have first purchased the vessel and then transferred it to the coast guard to avoid possible diplomatic and legal complications.
