Taiwan鈥檚 President Tsai Ing-wen attends the launching ceremony of Haikun, its first domestically built submarine, in Kaohsiung, Taiwan September 28, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins
KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan 鈥斕�Taiwan unveiled its first domestically developed submarine on Thursday, a major step in a project aimed at strengthening the island鈥檚 defense and deterrence against the Chinese navy, though it won鈥檛 enter service for another two years.
Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has made the indigenous submarine program a key part of an ambitious project to modernize its armed forces as Beijing stages almost daily military exercises to assert its sovereignty.
President Tsai Ing-wen, who initiated the plan when she took office in 2016, showed off the first of eight new submarines on Thursday in the southern city of Kaohsiung.
鈥淚n the past, a domestically developed submarine was considered an impossible task. But, today, a submarine听designed and manufactured by our country鈥檚 people sits before our eyes,鈥� Tsai said, adding that it would play an important role in strengthening the navy鈥檚 鈥渁symmetric warfare鈥� capabilities.
鈥淓ven if there are risks, and no matter how many challenges there are, Taiwan must take this step and allow the self-reliant national defense policy to grow and flourish on our land,鈥� Tsai said, standing in front of the ship, named the Narwhal. Taiwan鈥荣 red flag, featuring a white sun against a blue sky, was wrapped around the submarine鈥荣 bow.
Tsai said the Narwhal will enter service in 2025, joining two existing submarines purchased from the Netherlands in the 1980s.
China鈥檚 defense ministry, responding to a question at a regular monthly press briefing about the submarine听and how it could prevent China from surrounding the island, said Taiwan was 鈥渙ver-rating itself and attempting something impossible鈥�.
鈥淎s for talk about preventing the People鈥檚 Liberation Army from entering the Pacific Ocean, this is idiotic nonsense,鈥� spokesman Wu Qian told reporters in Beijing.
READ: Taiwan to unveil first domestically built submarine
READ:听Taiwan urges China to stop 鈥榙estructive鈥� military activities
Diplomatic breakthrough
The indigenous submarine program has drawn on expertise and technology from several countries 鈥� a breakthrough for diplomatically isolated Taiwan.
Cheng Wen-lon, head of Taiwan鈥荣 CSBC Corp, which led the construction of the submarine, said the domestic content of the boat was about 40%. He made no explicit mention of foreign participation in his speech in Kaohsiung.
Underscoring the importance of the United States鈥� security relationship with the island despite a lack of official ties, the de facto U.S. ambassador to Taiwan, Sandra Oudkirk, attended the ceremony. The United States is Taiwan鈥荣 largest arms supplier.
Speaking to reporters in Taipei, Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said that faced with an increased threat from China鈥檚 military 鈥済rey zone鈥� pressure tactics close to the island with air and naval activities, Taiwan had to strengthen its defenses.
鈥淗aving a new submarine is one of those strategies. For anyone who questions Taiwan鈥荣 submarine strategy, I would be a most forceful advocate for Taiwan to acquire submarines because that鈥檚 needed to deter war from taking place,鈥� Wu said.
Taiwan hopes to deploy at least two domestically developed submarines by 2027 and possibly equip later models with missiles, the head of the program said this month.
The first submarine, with a price tag of T$49.36 billion ($1.53 billion), will use a combat system by Lockheed Martin Corp and carry U.S.-made Mark 48 heavyweight torpedoes. It will enter sea trials next month before delivery to the navy by the end of 2024.
Admiral Huang Shu-kuang, Tsai鈥檚 security adviser leading the program, has described the submarines听as a 鈥渟trategic deterrent鈥� that can also help maintain the island鈥檚 鈥渓ifeline鈥� to the Pacific by keeping ports along Taiwan鈥荣 eastern coast open.