Chen Yeong-kang
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Chen Yeong-kang | |
|---|---|
陳永康 | |
 | |
| Member of the Legislative Yuan | |
| Assumed office 1 February 2024 | |
| Constituency | Party-list |
| 9th Vice Minister of National Defense (Policy) of the Republic of China | |
| In office 4 March 2015 – 19 May 2016 | |
| Minister | Kao Kuang-chi |
| Preceded by | Andrew Hsia |
| Succeeded by | Lee Hsi-ming |
| 5th Commander of the Republic of China Navy | |
| In office 1 August 2013 – 30 January 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Tung Hsiang-lung |
| Succeeded by | Lee Hsi-ming[1] |
| 27th Executive Vice Chief of the General Staff of the ROC Armed Forces | |
| In office 1 September 2012 – 31 July 2013 | |
| Chief | Lin Chen-yi Yen Ming |
| Preceded by | Kao Kuang-chi |
| Succeeded by | Yen Teh-fa |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1951 (age 74–75) |
| Party | Kuomintang (since 2023) |
| Education | Republic of China Naval Academy (BS) United States Naval War College (MS) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Republic of China |
| Branch/service | Republic of China Navy |
| Years of service | 1974–2015 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Battles/wars | Third Taiwan Strait Crisis |
Chen Yeong-kang (traditional Chinese: 陳永康; simplified Chinese: 陈永康; pinyin: Chén Yǒngkāng), also known as Richard Y. K. Chen, is a Taiwanese politician and retired admiral. Since 2024, he has been a member of the Legislative Yuan from the Kuomintang. He served as the commander of the Republic of China Navy from 2013 to 2015, and as the vice minister of national defense for policy from 2015 to 2016.
He graduated from the Republic of China Naval Academy in 1974 and spent over forty years in military service. Chen finished his career as the commander of the Navy. In that role he launched programs to modernize and expand Taiwan's shipbuilding industry, which led to the construction of its first indigenous submarine, the Hai Kun-class. After leaving the military he was briefly the vice minister of national defense for policy, the top civilian advisor to the minister, and later worked for a defense research institute.
Chen graduated from the Republic of China Naval Academy in 1974. He later graduated from the Naval Command and Staff College at the National Defense University in Taiwan in 1985, and from the United States Naval War College in 1997.[2]
Military career
His assignments in the Republic of China Navy have included as commander of the 168th Fleet, director of operations and intelligence at Navy Command, general director of the office of the Minister of Defense, director of the department of integrated assessment at the Ministry of Defense, and chief of staff and deputy commander of Navy Command.[2] He was also the head of the ROC Defense Mission to the United States, and later president of the National Defense University from 2011 to 2012. Chen became the Executive Vice Chief of the General Staff of the Republic of China Armed Forces in August 2012.[3][4]
Commander of the Navy
He was the commander of the Republic of China Navy (ROCN) from 1 August 2013, succeeding Admiral Tung Hsiang-lung.[3] As commander, Chen was credited for launching shipbuilding modernization initiatives, including the advancement of proposals for Taiwan's Indigenous Defense Submarine (IDS).[5] In January 2014, Chen released the Forces Structure and Planning Concepts for the Future ROCN, which called for extending the service life of Taiwan's existing submarines, so that Taiwanese industry could gain experience in submarine construction.[6] The ROCN also would invest US$450 million in the China Shipbuilding Corporation and the Ship and Ocean Industries R&D Center.[7]
The IDS program, launched in April 2014, led to the construction of the Hai Kun-class starting from 2020. Chen formed a team to study submarine design and procurement, and in April 2014 he got the U.S. chief of naval operations, Admiral Jonathan Greenert, to publicly acknowledge U.S.-Taiwan dialogue on the IDS, to remove political opposition to the program.[5] A seminar on the IDS was held with international experts in November 2014, after which the Navy requested a submarine with a displacement of up to 2,000 tons, to be completed in 2024.[6] He also introduced the National Shipbuilding Program, with projects for multiple types of warships, which were constructed in later years.[5]
Chen relinquished command to Admiral Lee Hsi-ming on 31 January 2015,[8] and retired after over 40 years of service in the Republic of China Navy.[9]
