Taiwan staged a littoral-combat drill centered on the CG606 Bali, an Anping-class coast guard frigate that can carry up to 16 Hsiung Feng anti-ship missiles. The exercise, observed by President Lai Ching-te, included Kuang-6 missile boats, RHIB special-forces teams, and mid-range attack drones. If all 12 Anping-class ships are armed, Taiwan's coast guard could field up to 192 missiles (local reports say stockpiles might raise that to 288). The drills are part of the 42nd Han Kuang exercises, designed to test islandwide defensive responses.
Taiwan Arms Coast Guard Frigate With Anti-Ship Missiles as It Prepares for Possible Conflict With China
The CG606 Bali, an Anping-class frigate, is a coast guard vessel capable of firing anti-ship missiles.Matthew Loh for Business Insider
Taiwan placed one of its new missile-capable coast guard ships at the center of a littoral-combat drill on Saturday, signaling how the island is preparing civilian maritime forces to play a wartime role alongside the navy.
CG606 Bali, an Anping-class coast guard frigate, led the exercise off Taiwan's southwest coast. The 750-ton vessel — derived from the Tuo Chiang corvette and built with a catamaran hull for higher speed and smoother performance in the choppy Taiwan Strait — can be equipped in wartime with up to 16 Hsiung Feng anti-ship missiles deployed from containerized box launchers mounted at an upward angle.
The Hsiung Feng II and III are Taiwan's homegrown anti-ship missiles, and can be fired from mobile ground launchers or vessels like the Anping-class frigate.SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images
The joint drill simulated a Chinese amphibious-landing scenario and included four smaller Kuang-6 missile boats, special-operations teams launched from rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs), and mid-range attack drones. President Lai Ching-te observed parts of the exercise from Tsoying, Taiwan's largest naval base, where the Kuang-6 boats conducted a rapid sortie while the Bali initially held position in port before putting to sea.
In a separate rehearsal on Thursday the Bali was visibly loaded with containerized missile launchers, underscoring Taiwan's intent to train the coast guard to integrate seamlessly with the navy in the event of conflict. The island has commissioned 12 Anping-class vessels; if all are fitted with 16 missiles, the coast guard could field the equivalent of a second navy armed with up to 192 anti-ship missiles. Local reporting in Liberty Times says Taipei may be stockpiling an additional 96 reserve missiles for the coast guard, which would raise that potential total to 288.
A Kuang-6 missile boat prepares for a rapid sortie.Matthew Loh for Business Insider
The Hsiung Feng II and III series are Taiwan's domestically produced anti-ship missiles. They can be launched from mobile ground launchers or from vessels such as the Anping-class frigate equipped with containerized launchers, giving Taiwan flexible deployment options in both peacetime patrols and a fast transition to combat configurations.
Analysts say the build-up responds in part to growing concern about Chinese "gray-zone" tactics — coercive maritime activities that do not amount to open warfare, such as intercepting civilian boats or repeatedly intruding into territorial waters. Beijing also maintains a large coast guard fleet; international observers note China fields more than 250 vessels displacing over 500 tons each, many of which could be pressed into service to support the People's Liberation Army Navy.
The Bali-led drill is part of Taiwan's 42nd annual Han Kuang exercises, an islandwide war game simulating an attack from mainland China. This year's drills are scheduled to run for 10 days and nine nights and include a wide range of live and simulated operations to test joint response and island defense concepts.
Bottom Line: Taiwan is deliberately equipping and rehearsing its coast guard to serve as a rapid, sea-based deterrent that can augment the navy in a crisis, highlighting a strategy of layered, flexible defense against potential maritime coercion.
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