The AEGIS Perry Frigate Mod

What would an Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate with AEGIS look like? We may soon find out, if Taiwan is serious (big if). According to news reporting today, Taiwan wants to buy 8 Perry class frigates from the US, and wants to put AEGIS on them.

Taiwan plans to buy eight second-hand Perry-class frigates from the United States despite improved ties with once-bitter foe China, a local newspaper reported Monday.

The island hopes to arm them with a version of the advanced Aegis Combat System, which uses computers and radar to take out multiple targets, as well as sophisticated missile launch technology, the Taipei-based China Times said.

The defence ministry said in a reaction to the report that ageing frigates now serving the navy needed to be phased out, but that it had not yet decided on the type of vessels that would replace them.

"The overall strategy of the armed forces will be taken into consideration as the defence ministry evaluates the plan," it said in a statement, adding that the budget would be another factor to be weighed.

Taiwan already owns 8 Perry frigates, but they use the SM-1 missile that has been retired from US Perry class frigates. Adding AEGIS to the Perry class is a very interesting move, but uhm, can it be done?

Very unclear. Could a Perry class support a SPY-1F, or would it need a SPY-1K? I think significant work would be required to add AEGIS to a Perry class, but when you are paying I am sure anything is possible. With that said, I do have serious questions on the cost.

Given the interest in the Perry class among those in Congress, I am sure many are going to be watching the cost of this proposal. The SM-1s would need to be replaced, but would the replacement be SM-2s or ESSMs? I'm thinking a 64 cell ESSM launcher, but you never know. We will have to wait and see what the final 'redesign' looks like I suppose.

I don't think AEGIS is likely to happen. China will not like it at all, but more than that, AEGIS will add considerably to the costs likely making an effort to refit the Perry class cost prohibitive.