Taiwan unveils £1.3 Billion Submarine to counter growing Chinese threats
Taiwan has unveiled its first domestically produced submarine, the Hai Kun, costing £1.3 billion. The sea trial for the diesel-electric-powered submarine took place at a dockyard in Kaohsiung, with plans for it to join the fleet by 2025. President Tsai Ing-wen stated that the submarine is essential for safeguarding Taiwan and strengthening its aging fleet.
Taiwan introduced its first domestically produced submarine, the Hai Kun, which costed £1.3 billion in its construction. The sea trial for the $1.54 billion diesel-electric-powered submarine took place at
CSBC Corp ’s Kaohsiung dockyard, with plans for it to join the existing fleet by 2025, according to a report by the Independent.
President Tsai Ing-wen emphasized the submarine's significance in safeguarding Taiwan and noted that the project, which began back in 2016, aims to bolster the island's aging fleet amid concerns of a potential Chinese invasion.
Named after a mythical fish called Kun, the Hai Kun took seven years to design and build. The submarine is equipped with a combat system from lockheed martin corp and will carry US-made mark 48 heavyweight torpedoes. The sea trials are scheduled for next month with delivery to the navy anticipated by the end of 2024, the Independent reports.
Assistance from other nations, including the US and the UK in addition to engineers, technicians and ex-naval officers from India, South Korea, Spain, Australia and Canada were roped in for the submarine's construction.
Highlighting the symbolic significance of a domestically produced submarine, President Tsai said, "In the past, a domestic-made submarine was considered impossible, but today a submarine designed and built by our countrymen is in front of you,".
Taiwan, which has been facing a constant threat of
Chinese military pressure and encirclement, aims to deploy at least two domestically developed submarines equipped with missiles by 2027. Taiwan currently possesses only four submarines, including two from the US and two from the Netherlands.
The submarine project is part of Taiwan's broader strategy to deter Chinese influence and maintain stability in the region.