The Ministry of National Defense is to allocate an estimated NT$10.6 billion (US$341.33 million) for a domestic submarine program, its budget report for next year said.
The navy has asked for NT$9.75 billion to continue building a prototype submarine, the construction of which began this year, the report said, adding that the navy intends to complete the vessel before the end of 2025.
Another NT$819.1 million was requested by the navy to to finalize the design contract of the submarine, which is to pay for the development of combat systems and the platform, and for laying the groundwork of the design details, it said.
The navy is to send a delegation of six people to the US and six more to Europe, where they are to inspect contractors’ ability to manufacture articles to specification and deliver them on time, the report said.
The US-bound team has eight days for their task and the Europe-bound team 11 days, with a total budget of NT$1.8 million, it said.
The military has been tight-lipped about the companies that were awarded contracts for the submarine program. Last year, then-navy chief of staff Vice Admiral Lee Tsung-hsiao (李宗孝) told lawmakers that 15 companies in the US and Europe had expressed an interest in bidding.
In March, the military furnished technology transfer licensing documents to be reviewed by the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee and lawmakers were reportedly satisfied, sources said.
With Washington having approved a slew of arms sales to the nation, the armed forces are to send officers to the US to learn about the weapon systems Taiwan is to procure, the report said.
Military officers are to attend technical conferences with their counterparts and weapons manufacturers, including makers of Stinger portable air defense systems, AIM-X air-to-air missiles, TOW-2B anti-tank guided missiles, F-16V jets and M1A2 Abrams tanks, it said.
Liaison teams are to be established in the US to provide fiscal and technical oversight, and to coordinate systems integration and logistical organization, it said.
Navy and air force representatives are to attend a leadership seminar at the US Naval Academy and next year’s Mobility Guardian exercise held by the US Air Force at the Joint Base Lewis-McChord respectively, it said.
The command sergeant of the General Staff is expected to meet their US counterpart, while the Reserve Command plans to observe the training of army reservists by the US Indo-Pacific Command in September next year, it said.
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
RSS