TSAMTO, July 27. According to the Taiwanese resource Taiwan News, the launch of the first national non-nuclear submarine and the delivery of heavy torpedoes from the United States for it will probably be implemented earlier than originally planned.
Earlier it was reported about the intention to start sea trials of the new submarine in the first half of 2024 and take it into service in 2025. However, currently, the Liberty Times, citing sources in the armed forces, reports that the sea trials of the NPL should begin in September 2023.
In light of the aggravation of relations with China, the Taiwanese Armed Forces are also trying to accelerate the delivery of 46 MK-48 Mod torpedoes from the United States.6. Initially, the delivery was planned for 2028, but customers are trying to postpone it to 2026.
As reported by TSAMTO, in 2017, the leadership of Taiwan, after receiving refusals from the world's leading manufacturers to sell NAPL and negotiations with the United States that did not bring results, decided to build submarines independently within the framework of the "National Submarine Program", also known as the "Hai Chan"program.
On March 21, 2017, the Command of the Taiwan Navy signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) and the CSBC shipbuilding company on the joint development of the project and the construction of national submarines. The project is supported by the Submarine Development Center, which CSBC opened in 2016.
The ceremony dedicated to the start of construction of the lead submarine of the national design was held at the enterprise of the CSBC shipbuilding company in Kaohsiung on November 24, 2020. The cost of the first submarine is estimated at 49.3 billion. Taiwan dollars (1.75 billion US dollars). The building is expected to be ready by the end of next year, and the electronic systems will be installed in early 2023. It is planned that the NPL will be transferred to the Taiwanese Navy after the tests are completed in 2024.
If the project is implemented according to the schedule, the Taiwanese Armed Forces will purchase from 8 to 12 submarines in batches of 2-3 units with a gradual improvement of their characteristics. In the future, the lead submarine will be upgraded to the latest configuration.
According to preliminary information, the length of the new submarine will be about 70 m, width-8 m, height-18 m, displacement-2500-3000 tons.
Currently, the Taiwan submarine fleet consists of four diesel-electric submarines. Two of them (of the "Guppy II" type) were built in the 1944-1950 - ies in the USA, transferred in the 1970s and are suitable only for training personnel. Two more modern High-Loon class DPLS (Zwaardis class), acquired in the Netherlands in 1987-1988, also cannot provide effective protection of the island's maritime borders. Currently, the Ministry of National Defense of Taiwan, NCSIST and the Dutch company RH Marine are implementing a project to modernize them to extend their service life until 2030.
