The Ministry of National Defense urged the US to deliver MK-48 torpedoes next year after the US military authorities delayed the procurement until 2030.
Taiwan has purchased MK-48 Mod 6 Advanced Technology (AT) heavyweight torpedoes from the US to strengthen its defense against threats from China, but the delivery has been delayed repeatedly.
Part of the procurement budget for last year was returned to national coffers due to the US being unable to deliver the order on time.
Photo courtesy of Raytheon Co
According to the ministry’s budget statement for the next year, the torpedoes were initially planned to be delivered by 2028, but the US military said they would not be delivered until 2030.
A senior Taiwanese official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, yesterday said that the government has purchased two types of torpedoes — one for practice purposes — along with test equipment and installations, with different delivery timelines for each item.
The delivery deadline for the MK-48 torpedoes was next year, while the supplementary equipment and installations should be delivered by 2028, they said.
The ministry has in recent years been in close touch with US officials who had earlier promised delivery on schedule, the official said, adding that later the torpedoes’ delivery was delayed half a year.
Considering the completion of the whole procurement has now been delayed for two years, it is worrying that the torpedoes might not be delivered on time, they said.
The ministry has purchased only 28 MK-48 heavyweight torpedoes, including 24 warheads and four practice torpedoes, for NT$5.46 billion (US$171 million) with the procurement to be compleyed by 2028.
On May 20, 2020, the US announced the sale of another 18 MK-48 heavyweight torpedoes to Taiwan, making the torpedoes purchased add up to 46.
However, the second purchase has yet to be included in the ministry’s budget statements, which say that NT$5.46 billion would be spent on 28 torpedoes.
The US-made MK-48 Mod 6 AT heavyweight torpedoes outperform the German-made Surface and Underwater Target (SUT) heavyweight torpedoes — which are used by the navy — in range, speed and guidance system.
MK-48 torpedoes are also in service for the US Navy. The torpedo has been modified to be more quiet and thus harder to detect by the enemy.
With a maximum speed of 101kph and a maximum range of 50km, MK-48 moves 60 percent faster than SUT with an additional 25 percent range at top speed.
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