Taiwan on Thursday unveiled its first domestically developed submarine named after a mythical fish in a step forward to counter China’s rising aggression around the island’s waters.
Taiwan’s defence ministry staged the first sea trial of a $1.54bn (£1.27bn) diesel-electric powered submarine at its shipbuilder CSBC Corp’s Kaohsiung dockyard.
The vessel would have to undergo several tests before it could join the existing fleet in 2025.
“It is the concrete realisation of our resolution to protect” Taiwan, president Tsai Ing-wen said at the launch ceremony. The president initiated the plan in 2016 to add eight new submarines to strengthen the island’s aging fleet amid a looming threat of Chinese invasion.
Beijing considers Taiwan to be a part of China and hasn’t ruled out the use of force to reunite the self-governed island with the mainland. However, observers believe China will not attack the island imminently due to critical Western attention on the East Asian waters.
“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,” the president said.
The submarine Hai Kun is named after a type of fish found in Chinese literature called Kun, of legendary proportions. The submarine took seven years to design and build.
The island’s red flag, featuring a white sun against a blue sky, was wrapped around the submarine’s bow during the display on Thursday.
The submarine will use a combat system by Lockheed Martin Corp and carry US-made Mark 48 heavyweight torpedoes. It will enter sea trials next month before delivery to the navy by the end of 2024.
The vessel was made possible with the secretive help of other countries as Taiwan maintains official diplomatic relations with only 13 nations and a robust relationship with the US.
The technology for the submarine was sourced from countries including the US and the UK in a breakthrough for the diplomatically isolated island, Reuters reported. Taiwan also hired engineers, technicians and ex-naval officers from India, South Korea, Spain, Australia and Canada.
Beijing frowns on Taiwan’s diplomatic and bilateral ties with foreign nations and often responds with military exercises encircling the island.
The process was “torturous”, said Cheng Wen-lon, head of Taiwan’s CSBC Corporation, which led the construction of the submarine.
“Although we have worked quietly the past several years, it doesn’t mean the process was very smooth,” he said at the ceremony.
Taipei said it hopes to deploy at least two such domestically developed submarines by 2027 and equip them with missiles.
The island’s navy currently has only four submarines, including two World War II-era vessels from the US that are used for training. Taiwan procured two submarines from the Netherlands in the 1980s.
In comparison, China’s fleet is reported to consist of more than 60 boats, including nuclear-powered submarines.
Taiwanese foreign minister Joseph Wu said that faced with an increased threat from China’s military “grey zone” pressure tactics close to the island with air and naval activities, Taiwan had to strengthen its defences.
“Having a new submarine is one of those strategies,” he said.
“For anyone who questions Taiwan’s submarine strategy, I would be a most forceful advocate for Taiwan to acquire submarines because that’s needed to deter war from taking place.”
