The Ministry of National Defense should comprehensively gauge the risks in budgeting more than NT$28.4 billion (US$888.39 million) to build seven more submarines over the next 14 years, given that it has yet to complete the performance assessment of its prototype submarine, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a recent report.
The center cautioned the ministry after reviewing its budget plan for next year.
The peak of the expenditure would be from 2029 to 2032, with the budget varying between NT$29.1 billion and NT$32.1 billion, the plan showed.
Photo: Lee Hui-chou, Taipei Times
The seven new submarines would carry the US-made heavyweight Mark 48 torpedo, which is also in its prototype submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤), a source familiar with the submarine-building project said.
The navy would build two new submarines based on the prototype in the first phase, followed by three in the second phase and two in the third phase, the source said.
As it would take 14 years to complete the project, the military hopes to have the flexibility to procure more advanced heavyweight torpedoes at latter phases based on combat demands, the source added.
However, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center expressed reservations about how the ministry budgeted the funding.
“The ministry is still conducting a harbor acceptance trial and a sea acceptance trial of the nation’s first self-developed and self-built submarine. Whether the trial results meet the navy’s expectations, and whether the results would alter structures and functions of new submarines could all put the appropriateness and justification of the budget plan into question,” the center said in its report.
“The navy had said that if the prototype submarine did not pass the trials, it would not sign contracts to construct new submarines until after all defects have been addressed. This showed that uncertainties remain about the rationality and feasibility of the budget allocated to build submarines. The navy needs to carefully consider the potential risks involved,” it said.
The center in the report also advised the navy to periodically brief the public about the trial results of the prototype submarine to reduce people’s concerns and doubts about the project.
The navy should also properly disclose the weapons that it is likely to procure and install on the new submarines, the center said.
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
RSS