Attribution of Naval Command 2021 Fleet Lists: developing the Taiwan scenario

In October 2024 I decided to contribute to improving the Naval Wargame Rule book 'Naval Command 2021'. Also to help the author, as he is working on an update. With my knowledge of the Royal Dutch Navy I proposed some additions for the Fleet list of the Netherlands. My input can be found on the Facebook page 'Naval Command - Modern Naval Wargame Rules'. 

The proposed additions concerned inclusion of 1950s cruiser class and submarine classes. And 1990's Air Defense frigates, fast combat support ship and minesweeper class. As these ship models (scale 1:3000) can be bought from NAVWAR, we can use them in our naval war games but ship data cards (fleet list entry) for them were missing…

Along a similar line of thinking I proposed to develop the fleet list for Taiwan. Based on a possible future Chinese invasion of the Island around 2030? Anyhow, the fleet list of China was included in the 2021 version of Naval Command, but Taiwan wasn't. The fleet lists of Taiwan's presumed allies, like USA, Japan, Australia and maybe some European countries, were already available within the Rule Book. Assuming Taiwan had a navy build up from ex-US ships (and the odd Dutch submarine) I thought this contribution to the Rule Book was easy…. At the same time I ordered from NAVWAR the ex-US, ex-French and ex-NLD ships, from which I could compose the Taiwanese fleet.  I discovered that most manufacturers had modern US navy ships available, but no modern Chinese's or Russian ships (after the year 2000)!
While making the Taiwan fleet list I discovered that Taiwan has a very active armamant industry, which is capable of adapting her second-hand warships with more modern sensors and indigenous weapons systems. In such way that I couldn't simply copy the US fleet list to describe the Taiwanese ex-US Knox-class frigates, the Taiwanese version of the Oliver Hazard Perry class frigates, etc.. I had to adapt their entries in the Fleet List thoroughly, as their sensor and weapon-ratings differed. Understandingly, the NAVWAR US, French and Dutch miniature models didn't reflect the typical Taiwanese modernizations. Luckily, as these models are scale 1:3000, this omission was not so visible. And I found some aircraft 1:600 ​​manufacturers, who could provide Taiwanese MD-500 ASW helos, a P-3C MPA, F-16s etc.
Anyhow, my best shot at those Taiwanese ships has been published on the Facebook page in Oct/Nov 2024. Hopefully they will be included in a future update of 'Naval Command’.

A bigger challenge I faced with the Chinese (and Russian) fleet. Although modern ship classes are described in the Naval Command Fleet List (like Chinese aircraft carriers, type 075 amphibious assault ships, type 052D & 055 destroyers and type 054 frigates) there is no 1:3000 manufacturer who makes these modern ones. And with the demise of 3D printing platform 'Shapeways' (since July '24) I didn't find someone who was able to produce/print modern Chinese destroyer-, frigate- and amphibious-class vessels at scale 1:3000. The only option was to buy modern 1:2400 scale ships from XP Forge and/or GHQ (both: USA). But those are 20% bigger! The 20% excess in size is very visible when it is a large ship (LPD, cruiser, carrier). Smaller ship-classes (frigate, LST, etc.) don't look so big, as they are not bigger than 1:3000 cruisers, LPDs and carriers… In the picture below, the fully painted Chinese ships (carrier & Luhu class destroyer) are scale 1:3000. The plain grey ships (LPD, frigate & LST) are 1:2400.

Anyhow, with some knowledge of those Asian Navies I collected over the last 2 months the following:
Taiwan: all submarine classes, most of the destroyer and frigate-classes, together with 1 ex-US Newport LST (all NAVWAR or DAVCO 1:3000 ) and 1 P-3C Orion MPA and a couple of F-16s. MD-500 helos (to operate from frigates) still to be painted…

China: some submarine classes (SSN & diesel), some destroyer and frigate classes (type 051, 052, 053H3, Sovremenny - all NAVWAR), 1 type 052C destroyer, 1 type 071 LPD and 2 type 072 LSTs (all 4 scale 1: 2400), 1 tanker (ex-USSR) and 1 Type 002 carrier (Kuznetsov by NAVWAR).
USA: some submarine classes, 1 LHD, lots of Aegis cruisers/destroyers, 2 San Antonio class LPDs, 8 LCACs - in use with USA, and some tankers (all NAVWAR or DAVCO 1:3000):
Japan: some submarine classes (Fujimi), 2 Aegis Kongo-class destroyers (NAVWAR), some older destroyers.
South Korea: 3 KDX-1 destroyers, 1 Type 209 submarine (all NAVWAR)
North Korea: 2 Romeo-class diesel submarines (NAVWAR, Russian fleet)
Australia: 1 ex-US Newport LST and a 1950s destroyer.

Besides this I have lots of Soviet ships, but not newer ones like Gorshkov- and Grigorovich-class frigates. Anyhow I still need to buy 1:600 ​​modern aircraft, like (US/Japan/AUS F-35 and Chinese aircraft/helo's). Luckily I already have 2 P-8 Poseidon 1:600 ​​MPA's (from Shapeway's), which can be flown by USA, UK or Australia. And I have lots of helos (and LCAC's - in use with US & Japan) to conduct a Western amphibious landing on the Taiwanese coast during Spring 2025?