Taiwan is ready to produce its own submarines

It was a submarine slightly larger the Type-209 of German design.

"The Water Star project was divided into three phases. The first phase was to train personnel for the construction of the subs. The second phase was to build a base for the subs. And the third phase was the completion of the subs' construction," the source said.

"The project was later scrapped because the navy could not get materials necessary for the construction of the subs. The navy had tried to buy some of the materials from Russia via North Korean but without success," he said.

"It is a pity that the Water Star project did not succeed. If it could have been carried out as planned, we would not have had to beg the US to sell us submarines each year," he said.

"The eight diesel-powered submarines that the US announced this year for sales to Taiwan are still of the old German Type-209 design," he said. "But what's worse is that the submarines Taiwan are to get from the US will be a simplified version of the Type-209," he said.

Chang Li-teh (張立德), an editor with the Defense Technology Monthly magazine, said if the US provides Taiwan with a simplified version of the Type-209, "it will really be too bad for us."

"The Type-209 is already an outdated design," Chang said. "Can you imagine that we would stand for a simplified version of an outdated submarine?" Chang asked.