The high cost of a submarine-rescue service agreement with the US has led some to wonder whether the navy is considering other options to secure the safety of the crews of the nation's four subs, but according to unnamed sources, there is no plan to do so, even though it could take more than a day for the Americans to come to the rescue.
The agreement was the work of ex-navy commander-in-chief retired Admiral Nelson Ku (顧崇廉), who is now a PFP lawmaker. Ku was the navy's chief from 1994 to 1997.
The agreement was one of Ku's greatest contributions to the navy, because a distressed submarine would have had to rely on its own devices before it was signed.
Submarine crews doubtless have peace of mind under the rescue agreement, but it has come to light that the navy is paying a large sum of money for a program which has never been used. No information is available about the cost of the program because those party to the agreement are sworn to secrecy.
The navy currently has four submarines, including two older vessels acquired from the US and two modern ones bought from the Netherlands.
Before the navy signed the submarine-rescue agreement with the US during Ku's term as the navy chief, the the crew of four submarines could only hope for a miracle if they had an accident that incapacitated the vessel.
An official with the navy, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the navy's submarine rescue agreement with the US is confidential and that it is not proper for the navy to openly discuss it.
According to Chinese-language news reports on the subject, the navy's agreement with the US states that the US is required to send a deep submergence rescue vehicle (DSRV) to Taiwan in the shortest time possible if any of Taiwan's four submarines become disabled.
If needed, a DSRV would be delivered to Taiwan via a transport airplane and then shipped to the accident site via a ship.
Two years ago, one of the two Holland-made submarines struck an underwater object, sustaining considerable damage to its bow. It is probably the only occasion that the navy came close to having a need for the DSRV service.
Taiwan's military periodically comes under pressure from industries and legislators to help stimulate the local economy by refusing to buy from foreign sources and sign contracts with local companies, but in the case of submarine rescue, it appears as though there are few alternatives. Asked about whether it is necessary for Taiwan to develop its own submarine-rescue capabilities, the navy said it has no such plan at the moment because the cost would be too high.
In 10 years, the navy might buy another eight diesel-electric submarines from the US. After these eight submarines go into service, the navy would be faced with an increased possibility of experiencing a submarine disaster.
Even under this scenario, the navy responded by saying that the cost likely would be prohibitive.
A naval official said that although foreign aid might not be able to come on time, a disabled submarine has enough oxygen for its crew for two days.
"In two days, the DSRV could arrive here," a naval official said.
AGING: While Japan has 22 submarines, Taiwan only operates four, two of which were commissioned by the US in 1945 and 1946, and transferred to Taiwan in 1973 Taiwan would need at least 12 submarines to reach modern fleet capabilities, CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman Chen Cheng-hung (陳政宏) said in an interview broadcast on Friday, citing a US assessment. CSBC is testing the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤, Narwhal), which is scheduled to be delivered to the navy next month or in July. The Hai Kun has completed torpedo-firing tests and is scheduled to undergo overnight sea trials, Chen said on an SET TV military affairs program. Taiwan would require at least 12 submarines to establish a modern submarine force after assessing the nation’s operational environment and defense
A white king snake that frightened passengers and caused a stir on a Taipei MRT train on Friday evening has been claimed by its owner, who would be fined, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) said yesterday. A person on Threads posted that he thought he was lucky to find an empty row of seats on Friday after boarding a train on the Bannan (Blue) Line, only to spot a white snake with black stripes after sitting down. Startled, he jumped up, he wrote, describing the encounter as “terrifying.” “Taipei’s rat control plan: Release snakes on the metro,” one person wrote in reply, referring
The coast guard today said that it had disrupted "illegal" operations by a Chinese research ship in waters close to the nation and driven it away, part of what Taipei sees a provocative pattern of China's stepped up maritime activities. The coast guard said that it on Thursday last week detected the Chinese ship Tongji (同濟號), which was commissioned only last year, 29 nautical miles (54km) southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan, although just outside restricted waters. The ship was observed lowering ropes into the water, suspected to be the deployment of scientific instruments for "illegal" survey operations, and the coast
Taiwan’s two cases of hantavirus so far this year are on par with previous years’ case numbers, and the government is coordinating rat extermination work, so there should not be any outbreaks, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said today in an interview with the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper). An increase in rat sightings in Taipei and New Taipei City has raised concerns about the spread of hantavirus, as rats can carry the disease. In January, a man in his 70s who lived in Taipei’s Daan District (大安) tested positive posthumously for hantavirus, Taiwan’s
RSS