If the national defense budget for the submarine construction project is cut next year, the earliest the budget for the Hai Kun (海鯤) submarine could be allocated is 2026, with its implementation delayed until 2027, Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said today.
The Legislative Yuan’s Foreign and National Defense Committee is reviewing next year’s national defense budget today and tomorrow, including the submarine construction project under the Indigenous Defense Submarine Program.
This program has a total proposed cost exceeding NT$284 billion (US$7.62 billion), with NT$1.9 billion to be allocated next year.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
However, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators Ma Wen-chun (馬文君), Huang Jen (黃仁) and Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) have proposed to cut the submarine budget.
The Ministry of National Defense has been communicating with the legislators that the budget would not be utilized until the prototype submarine passes its sea trials, Koo said.
As the sea trials are not expected to be completed until September next year, Koo said he hopes this would encourage legislators to pass the budget now.
If the budget does not pass, not only would the timeline be delayed, but subcontractors would question Taiwan’s commitment to constructing the submarine, Koo said.
The ministry expects to engage with subcontractors and prepare relevant materials next year, he said.
Any delay would significantly impact the Indigenous Defense Submarine Program and efforts to enhance Taiwan’s defense capabilities, he added.
Reporters also inquired about comments from US academics suggesting that the ministry is not transparent enough in reporting China’s military activities near Taiwan.
While the ministry aims to be as transparent as possible, saying too much could reveal information about Taiwan’s surveillance and intelligence capabilities, which would further expose them to China, Koo said.
This is a dilemma that the ministry would continue to review, he added.
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