Taiwan's navy quietly held a party at the Tsoying naval base in southern Taiwan last weekend to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the commissioning of the submarine SS-791 -- dubbed the Sea Lion -- into service.
At the age of 60, the US-made sub is not only the Navy's longest-serving submarine but also the world's oldest submarine still in service.
It is one of only two submarines built during World War II that have managed to continue active service in the 21st century. The other -- SS-792, or the Sea Leopard -- also belongs to Taiwan's navy.
Both are Tench-class diesel-powered submarines. They were transferred to the navy in April and October 1973, respectively, after being retired from the US Navy. They have since formed an integral part of Taiwan's submarine fleet, which also includes two Dutch-made, Sword Dragon-class submarines, the Sea Tiger and the Sea Dragon.
More than 500 officers and men aboard the Sea Lion as well as their families and retired service members took part in the April 12 celebration party.
The Sea Lion story has attracted global attention and over the years, many of the navy's foreign guests have asked to visit the submarine during their trips to Taiwan.
"The Sea Lion has almost become the most important 'tourist attraction' at the Tsoying military complex," a naval officer, who preferred anonymity, said jokingly.
The vintage submarine has also drawn the interest of major foreign military museums. In February this year, the San Francisco Submarine Museum commissioned a production crew of the Discovery TV channel to shoot a documentary introducing the Sea Lion's legendary service life.
According to an agreement with the Navy, the documentary cannot be shown until after the Sea Lion has been decommissioned.
After the US agreed to sell Taiwan eight conventional submarines in 2001, naval sources said, the retirement of the Sea Lion and the Sea Leopard is just a "matter of time."
A local military analyst said the two aging subs should not be dismantled after their retirement. "One of them could be turned into a submarine training classroom and the other could be towed to the estuary of the Tamshui River in northern Taiwan to serve as a naval museum," he suggested.
A Washington Times reporter once described the Sea Lion as a "grounded whale" after he toured the ship in 2000.
The journalist even said that if the submarine went on an underwater mission at sea, it might become a "widowmaker."
However, many retired Sea Lion officers and men disagreed with the journalist's observation.
Despite its advanced age, they said, the Sea Lion remains "as vibrant as a live dragon" and still functions well.
A retired Sea Lion officer said the sub can carry out all the duties that the two Sword Dragon-class subs usually perform, ranging from enemy port surveillance, interception of electronic warfare intelligence and transporting special forces to enemy frontiers.
"Until two years ago, it still often navigated underwater for two weeks at a time. And week-long underwater navigation is run-of-the-mill for the Sea Lion," he said, adding that its quietness is another of the Sea Lion's merits.
Of course, he went on, some of the sub's equipment and gear is old and has lost some of its function. For instance, he said, its active and passive sonar systems are aging, thus shortening the range of its monitoring.
Because of its limited space, the cook is the only service member aboard the sub who can take a bath everyday during its underwater cruise missions.
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