Naval Vessel Damaged in Palau

The Navy on March 22 dispatched a Lafayette-class frigate and two tugboats to escort s warship back to Kaohsiung, after it was damaged in Palau when carrying out a naval friendship tour. According to Taipei Times, no one was hurt in the accident. Another Cheng Kung-class frigate was also ordered to go to sea to replace the damaged warship and continue the mission. The damaged ship was currently around 93km from Palau, escorted by Palauan vessels. The damaged warship, accompanied by a supply ship, left for Palau on March 16. The warship had planned to stay in Palau for two days, and then sail to other diplomatic allies in Oceania. The warship may have hit a coral reef, as these are abundant in Palau. The navy has not decided whether to ask Palau to compensate the navy for the damage caused by the incident, as it occurred in a Palauan harbor while the ship was under the control of Palauan pilots. (Source: Taipei Times)