The ship was procured to enhance the capacities of research vessels in Taiwan for oceanography research, a task bequeathed by the Ministry of Science and Technology through NARLabs. To meet the urgent needs of Taiwan for large research vessels, the procurement of this 2000-ton class vessel is expected to fill the current shortage in research vessel capacities and enhance Taiwan’s continuous efforts in ocean exploration and research.
Legend is a 2,629-ton research vessel with a crew of 19 that can accommodate up to 24 researchers. She was built in Vietnam by Singapore's Triyards Marine Services (TMS) at a cost of NTD870 million and features a hybrid-electric propulsion system.[9] The ship was officially starting service on May 23, 2018.