The navy yesterday held a keel laying ceremony for a domestically built submarine prototype a year after work began.
The ceremony — which marked the completion of the vessel’s first phase of construction — was presided over by Republic of China Navy Commander Admiral Liu Chih-pin (劉志斌) and Cheng Wen-lon (鄭文隆), chairman of CSBC Shipbuilding Corp, which is responsible for the project, the navy said in a statement.
Liu called on all parties involved in the submarine’s construction to prioritize safety and maintain confidentiality to ensure that the project is completed on schedule.
Photo: CNA
The ceremony was closed to the media, and the navy did not provide any photographs or disclose where it was held for confidentiality reasons.
“Keel laying” is a term used in the shipbuilding industry to formally recognize the start of a vessel’s construction, even for submarines, which do not have keels.
In submarine building, the ceremony means the builder has successfully connected the submarine’s sail, the tower-like structure on the top of submarines, to its main hull and passed pressure tests, a navy source said.
The government has allocated NT$49 billion (US$1.76 billion) over seven years to build indigenous submarines, with the goal to boost Taiwan’s defense capabilities amid China’s growing military prowess.
The prototype is scheduled to be completed in 2024 and delivered to the navy in 2025.
The navy currently has four submarines in its fleet, two of which were purchased from the US in the 1970s and two that were bought from the Netherlands in the 1980s.
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
A Japan Self-Defense Forces vessel entered the Taiwan Strait yesterday, Japanese media reported. After passing through the Taiwan Strait, the Ikazuchi was to proceed to the South China Sea to take part in a joint military exercise with the US and the Philippines, the reports said. Japan Self-Defense Force vessels were first reported to have passed through the strait in September, 2024, with two further transits taking place in February and June last year, the Asahi Shimbun reported. Yesterday’s transit also marked the first time since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office that a Japanese warship has been sent through the Taiwan
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
RSS