Taiwan to build eight submarines to strengthen its ageing fleet
Construction comes as mainland China is boosting its naval forces, increasing naval patrols close to Taiwan and making more assertive claims to the South China Sea
Taiwan plans to build eight submarines to bolster its current fleet of four ageing foreign-built vessels, a senior Taiwanese navy official said on Wednesday.
“In our indigenous submarine project, we hope to be able to make eight submarines,” Lee Tsung-hsiao, navy chief of staff, told lawmakers, confirming publicly for the first time the number of vessels planned.
Cheng Wen-lon, chairman of state-controlled shipbuilder CSBC Corp Taiwan, which has been contracted to build the submarines, told legislators the initial design would be completed early next year.
Military and defence industry officials in Taiwan have said the first submarine is expected to go into operation within 10 years.
Lee’s comments come ahead of the first meeting between leaders of the United States and mainland China this week that Taipei is worried could harm its interests.