Taiwan has carried out the maiden test-firing of a torpedo by the indigenously developed Hai Kun (海鯤) submarine, a major milestone in a project aimed at strengthening deterrence against the Chinese navy and protecting vital sea lanes in the event of war.
Taiwan has made the indigenous submarine program a key part of an ambitious project to modernize its armed forces as Beijing stages almost daily military exercises.
The submarine program has drawn on expertise and technology from several nations, including the US.
Photo courtesy of CSBC Corp, Taiwan
CSBC Corp, Taiwan, which is leading construction of what is planned to be eight submarines, in a statement yesterday said that the first sub had carried out its first torpedo test the day before.
The test verified the combat system’s operational capabilities in terms of detection and tracking, fire control, launch and torpedo guidance, it said.
The submarine carried out its first underwater sea trial in January.
Taiwan has said it hopes to deploy at least two such domestically developed submarines by next year, and possibly equip later models with missiles.
The first submarine, with a price tag of NT$49.36 billion (US$1.57 billion), would use a combat system by Lockheed Martin Corp and carry US-made Mark 48 heavyweight torpedoes.
The CSBC statement did not say what kind of torpedoes were test-fired.
The Hai Kun had been due to be delivered to the navy in 2024, joining two existing submarines purchased from the Netherlands in the 1980s, but the program has been hit with delays.
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