After undergoing several sea trials, Taiwan's first indigenous defense submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤), or “Narwhal,” is still on schedule to be delivered in November, the navy said today.
Answering questions at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, Navy Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Chiu Chun-jung (邱俊榮) said that the submarine would undergo three to four surface trials before conducting submerged tests.
Taiwan People's Party (TPP) Legislator Lin Yi-chun (林憶君) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) asked about the submarine’s status and testing schedule.
Photo: Lee Hui-chou, Taipei Times
The Hai Kun first left port last week to test its stability when surfaced, Chiu said, adding that tests are proceeding as planned.
Further trials would focus on its stability and performance in different sea conditions, he added.
After surface trials, the submarine would conduct 50m and 200m dive tests, with the goal of completing all trials by Sept. 30 and delivering the vessel in November, Chiu said.
There are 34 test items divided into three stages: surface trials, shallow water trials and deep water trials, Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) said that rumors about issues with the submarine’s hull were first spread by China’s Voice of Strait in a radio broadcast on Wednesday last week and amplified by Internet commentators.
The media should verify rumors before quoting them and contributing to misinformation, Shen said, adding that the Ministry of National Defense should be quicker to communicate with the public.
Shipbuilder CSBC Corp, Taiwan should also have been speedier in debunking the rumors, Shen added.
“If the other side will definitely engage in this type of behavior, then clarifying the situation sooner would be helpful to the public,” Shen said, adding that the ministry might need to pay closer attention to this issue.
Koo promised to review and improve the ministry’s communication with the public and the media.
The Hai Kun’s hull does not have any defects, and the protrusions seen on it are critical sonar components, Koo said, adding that British and Australian submarines have similar designs.
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