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.
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