The first defense submarine built entirely in Taiwan is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy in the second half of the year, after concluding its sea trials without any significant technical obstacles, the company responsible for the project announced today.
Speaking to the official Taiwanese news agency CNA, Chen Cheng-hung, the chairman of CSBC Corporation—the island’s largest shipbuilder and the primary contractor for the program—stated that the submarine, named Narwhal (“Hai Kun” in Mandarin), is currently in the final phase of fine-tuning and functional verification.
The executive reiterated that the company aims to complete all remaining tests and officially hand over the vessel to the Navy by the end of the year.
According to Chen, one of the greatest challenges of the project was securing the supply of critical components through a “highly sensitive” international supply chain, given the constant geopolitical pressure exerted by Beijing on Taiwan’s submarine program.
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The CSBC chairman revealed that there were instances where equipment provided by international partners had already been packed and was ready for shipment, only to be blocked from leaving its country of origin at the last minute.
The shipbuilder has been subject to daily fines since November for missing the initially scheduled contractual delivery deadline for the submarine.
In May, the Narwhal successfully completed its first torpedo-launching test at sea.
The development of a domestic submarine fleet is considered a top priority to bolster Taiwan’s defensive capabilities. The island has been autonomously governed since 1949, while Beijing claims it as an inalienable part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve “national reunification.”
