The Taiwanese, as I've mentioned before, are looking to build a large force of smaller craft to fight China's fleet in the Taiwan Strait:
The Hsiung-feng 3 is being installed on destroyers and frigates and now the new 500 ton stealth corvettes. For these ships the designers are being asked to get as many of the large (for a 500 ton ship) Hsiung-feng 3s on it as possible (up to eight). In addition there will be eight of the smaller Hsiung-feng 2. These new corvettes are the continuation of a trend in the Taiwanese Navy, which sees small ships carrying lots of anti-ship missiles as the key to success against the Chinese navy.
Taiwanese missiles for these ships will complement land-based anti-ship missiles and missiles that can reach inland to strike Chinese bases. Anti-access and area denial--the approach China seeks to keep the United States Navy at bay long enough to achieve objectives close to China--could work against the Chinese, too, in the Taiwan Strait.
And if we back the Taiwanese up with long-range anti-ship missiles, smart bombs, aircraft-delivered anti-ship mines, even longer-ranged anti-ship missiles, and even submarine-launched missiles (especially these) we might deny the Taiwan Strait to China for long enough to deny the Chinese a quick win.
I am heartened that Taiwan is trying to buy time. China needs a fast win to prevent bad things from unfolding over time. Don't give the Chinese confidence that they can achieve a fast win.
