Taiwan Launches Domestically Made Submarine: Improves Asymmetric War Capability, Equipped With Heavy Class Torpedoes

Peluncuran kapal selam Hai Kun Taiwan. (Wikimedia Commons/men'tuk Badminton)

JAKARTA - Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen officially launched the country's first domestically made submarine on Thursday, a move that is considered to strengthen defense and deterrence against threats coming from China.

The launch was carried out by President Tsai in Kaohsiung City. It was the first of a total of eight new submarines under a project initiated by President Tsai in 2016.

"In the past, domestically developed submarines were considered impossible tasks. However, currently, submarines designed and manufactured by the people of our country are in sight," President Tsai said.

He said the submarine would play an important role in strengthening Taiwan's naval power and asymmetric warfare capabilities.

"Even if there are risks, and no matter how many challenges there are, Taiwan must take this step and allow independent national defense policies to grow and develop in our territory," said President Tsai.

The diesel-electric submarine is officially named 'Narwhal' in English and 'Hi Kun' in Mandarin, which can be freely translated as a'sea monster', as quoted by CNN.

"This submarine is an important realization of our concrete commitment to defending our country. This is also an important tool for our navy in developing an asymmetric war strategy," explained President Tsai.

President Tsai said the submarine would start operating in 2025, joining two submarines purchased from the Netherlands in the 1980s.

According to a budget of up to 49.36 billion Taiwan dollars or about 1.53 billion US dollars, the submarine will use Lockheed Martin Corp.'s fighter system, as well as US-made Mark 48 heavyweight torpedo. The plan is for the ship to enter next month's sea trials before being delivered to the navy by the end of 2024.

Meanwhile, Taiwan's Presidential Security Adviser Admiral Huang Shu-kuang, who led the program, described the submarine as a "strategic deterrent that can also help maintain the island's life path to the Pacific by keeping ports along Taiwan's east coast open.

Taiwan hopes to deploy at least two domestically developed submarines by 2027, and may complement its next model with missiles, the head of the program said this month.

Taiwan, which China claims as its territory, has made the domestically made submarine program an important part of an ambitious project to modernize its armed forces, as Beijing conducts military exercises almost every day to assert its sovereignty.