http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ ... n/kidd.htm
DDG 1801 Chi Teh / Kidd-class destroyers
China's two 8,000-ton Sovremenny-class destroyers are the largest and most powerful warships in the Chinese fleet, and Taiwan's navy had no comparable vessels. The Kidd-class vessels are formidable warships and will be the most powerful weapons in Taiwan's navy.
The four Kidd-class destroyers were decommissioned by the US Navy in the late 1990s and offered for international sale. Originally built for the Shah of Iran, the ships were acquired by the US Navy following the Iranian leader's overthrow. They were regarded as the most powerful multipurpose destroyers in the US fleet. Although they were taken out of service in 1998 and 1999, they remain capable of carrying out anti-air, antisubmarine and anti-surface warfare. In 1998, they were to have been transferred to Greece under a lease-sale arrangement. But Greece backed out of the deal. The destroyers were subsequently decommissioned and had been in storage ever since.
Among the most powerful combat and anti-submarine warships used by the US Navy, the 9,574-ton warships are fitted with advanced Standard surface-to-surface missiles and possess superior air defense, anti-submarine, and battlefield management capabilities designed to handle simultaneous air, surface, and submarine attacks. Although details of how the vessels will be outfitted for Taiwan remain uncertain, the original Kidd-class destroyers carried a full complement of weapons systems as well as radars and other electronics. These included an aerial threat detection and tracking capability at the heart of the ship's combat control center. It could be linked to aircraft, missiles and shipboard guns.
The Kidd-class vessels also carried anti-submarine warfare sensors linked to both torpedoes and rockets as well as helicopters capable of being transported on the ship itself. For dealing with surface threats at sea, the Kidd-class destroyers carried surface-to-surface missiles and guns. They also had electronic warfare capabilities allowing the ships to fire off chaff as a defense against any incoming missiles. The Kidd-class vessels contain four gas-turbine engines and are capable of speeds in excess of 30 knots or some 50 kilometers an hour.
Kidd-class destroyers were proposed by the Pentagon in 2000 because they would come from existing reserve fleets and could be transferred to Taiwan within a few years. Four Kidd-class destroyers could cost about NT$20 billion (US$600 million). With an upgraded fleet-defense radar system, the cost to Taiwan would be $732 million, or about $185 million a ship. In contrast, Aegis ships would cost over $1 billion each and could take between 8 and 10 years to build and deploy.
Under Taipei's proposal, it would lease the warships for five years, with ownership of the vessels transferred to Taiwan after it pays off the rent of about US$500 million. Other reports suggest a pricetag for the four Kidd-class ships of $750 million.
On 21 November 2002, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States of KIDD Class Guided Missile Destroyers, SM-2 Block IIIA STANDARD missiles, RGM-84L BLOCK II HARPOON Missiles as well as associated equipment and services.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States has requested a possible sale of 4 KIDD Class Guided Missile Destroyers, 248 SM-2 Block IIIA STANDARD missiles, 32 RGM-84L BLOCK II HARPOON Missiles, shipyard/port support services and post transfer activities relating to "cold ship" turnover of 4 KIDD Class destroyers from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Government and contractor engineering and logistics personnel support services, repair and calibration services for shipboard equipment, design/construction/upgrade of shipyard maintenance and docking facilities, publications and technical data/drawings, personnel training and training equipment, support equipment, spare and repair parts and other elements of logistics necessary to prepare the destroyers for transfer to Taiwan in a "Safe to Steam" condition with all shipboard and weapon systems operational. The estimated cost is $875 million.
In December 2003 Raytheon Company's Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) was awarded a combat system production coordination contract to assist with the reactivation of four Kidd-class destroyers for Taiwan. Under contract to VSE Corporation's BAV Division, IDS will assist in the coordination of work item development planning, reactivation execution, total ship testing, crew training, and logistics support. Work will be performed at Detyens Shipyards Inc. in Charleston, S.C.
In January 2003 it was reported that the US initially wanted to charge Taiwan 20 percent of the original price for the four Kidds plus their weaponry. The US later reduced the charge by 5 percent to 15 percent of the original cost for the Kidds.
Taiwan will use the four Kidds to take the place of its seven World War II-era Gearing-class destroyers. The Kidds could join Taiwan's navy within within three to five years of the deal's conclusion.
The four Kidd class destroyers should be delivered to the ROCN in December 2006. The ships will be equipped with 248 Standard Missiles (SM-2 Block IIA) that are being installed by Raytheon.
Name Number Builder Homeport Ordered Commissioned Decomm Fate
Chi Teh DDG 1801 Ingalls 23 Mar 1978 27 Mar 1981 12 Mar 1998 ex-DDG 993 Kidd
Ming Teh DDG 1802 Ingalls 23 Mar 1978 29 Aug 1981 31 Mar 1998 ex-DDG 994 Callaghan
Tong Teh DDG 1803 Ingalls 23 Mar 1978 24 Oct 1981 11 Dec 1998 ex-DDG 995 Scott
Wu Teh DDG 1805 Ingalls 23 Mar 1978 13 Mar 1982 23 Sep 1999 ex-DDG 996 Chandler
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