Taiwan completes first sea trial for domestically made submarine in defense milestone

Taiwan completed the maiden sea trial for its first domestically developed submarine on Tuesday, a major step in a project aimed at strengthening deterrence against the Chinese navy and protecting vital sea lanes in the event of war.
Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, 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 to assert its sovereignty.
The submarine program has drawn on expertise and technology from several countries, including the United States and Britain, a breakthrough for diplomatically isolated Taiwan, whose government rejects Beijing's territorial claims.
Taiwan's CSBC, which is leading construction of what is eventually planned to be eight submarines, said in a statement that the first ship, named the Narwhal, had completed its first test at sea, proving systems including propulsion, ventilation and radar.
"CSBC will continue to make adjustments and improvements to the systems based on the test results," it said in a statement, showing pictures of the submarine sailing above water off the southern Taiwanese port of Kaohsiung.
Underwater tests will follow, with the depth gradually increased, the company added.
The Narwhal had been due to be delivered to the navy last year, joining two existing submarines purchased from the Netherlands in the 1980s, but the program has been hit with delays.
Taiwan has said it hopes to deploy at least two such domestically developed submarines by 2027 and possibly equip later models with missiles.
The first submarine, with a price tag of $49.36 billion New Taiwan dollars ($1.67 billion), will use a combat system by Lockheed Martin and carry U.S.-made Mark 48 heavyweight torpedoes.
Taiwan's armed forces are dwarfed by those of China, which has two operational aircraft carriers and ballistic missile submarines and is developing stealth fighter jets.
Taiwan is modernizing its military to be able to fight "asymmetric warfare," using mobile and agile systems like submarines, drones and truck-mounted missiles to fend off its much-larger adversary China.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Japan Times

8 hours ago

• Japan Times

U.S. may target Samsung, Hynix and TSMC operations in China

The U.S. Department of Commerce is considering revoking authorizations granted in recent years to global chipmakers Samsung, SK Hynix and TSMC, making it more difficult for them to receive U.S. goods and technology at their plants in China, according to people familiar with the matter. The chances of the United States withdrawing the authorizations are unclear. But with such a move, it would be harder for foreign chipmakers to operate in China, where they produce semiconductors used in a wide range of industries. A White House official said the United States was "just laying the groundwork" in case the truce reached between the two countries fell apart. But the official expressed confidence that the trade agreement would go forward and that rare earths would flow from China, as agreed. "There is currently no intention of deploying this tactic," the official said. "It's another tool we want in our toolbox in case either this agreement falls through or any other catalyst throws a wrench in bilateral relations." Shares of U.S. chip equipment makers that supply plants in China fell when the Wall Street Journal first reported the news earlier on Friday. KLA Corp dropped 2.4%, Lam Research fell 1.9% and Applied Materials sank 2%. Shares of Micron, a major competitor to Samsung and SK Hynix in the memory chip sector, rose 1.5%. A TSMC spokesman declined comment. Samsung and Hynix did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Lam Research, KLA and Applied Materials did not immediately respond, either. In October 2022, after the United States placed sweeping restrictions on U.S. chipmaking equipment to China, it gave foreign manufacturers like Samsung and Hynix letters authorizing them to receive goods. In 2023 and 2024, the companies received what is known as Validated End User status in order to continue the trade. A company with VEU status is able to receive designated goods from a U.S. company without the supplier obtaining multiple export licenses to ship to them. VEU status enables entities to receive U.S.-controlled products and technologies "more easily, quickly and reliably," as the Commerce Department website puts it. The VEU authorizations come with conditions, a person familiar with the matter said, including prohibitions on certain equipment and reporting requirements. "Chipmakers will still be able to operate in China," a Commerce Department spokesperson said in a statement when asked about the possible revocations. "The new enforcement mechanisms on chips mirror licensing requirements that apply to other semiconductor companies that export to China and ensure the United States has an equal and reciprocal process.' Industry sources said that if it became more difficult for U.S. semiconductor equipment companies to ship to foreign multinationals, it would only help domestic Chinese competitors. "It's a gift," one said.

Japan Times

8 hours ago

• Japan Times

Japan scraps ‘two-plus-two' meeting with U.S. over defense spending demand, report says

Japan has canceled a high-level meeting with the U.S. set for July following a demand that Tokyo spend even more on defense, according to a media report. Tokyo abruptly scrapped annual 'two-plus-two' security talks involving the allies' top diplomats and defense chiefs less than two weeks before the meeting after the U.S. asked Japan to hike its defense budget to 3.5% of gross domestic product, the Financial Times reported Friday, citing unidentified sources. Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya had been scheduled to meet U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington on July 1 for the talks. Asked about the report at a news conference Friday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the U.S. had 'no comment on that at this point.' The Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The report said that the U.S. had initially asked Japan to spend 3% of GDP on defense, though Pentagon officials told The Japan Times earlier that it had set a 'global standard' for Tokyo and other U.S. allies to spend 5% of GDP on defense, in the first official confirmation that Washington is asking Tokyo to pump up its defense budget even further. The reason for the discrepancy was not immediately clear, though the Pentagon has been gripped by upheaval, including high-level dismissals and scandals in recent months under Hegseth. The Financial Times said the new, higher demand was made in recent weeks by Elbridge Colby, the Defense Department's No. 3 official, sparking anger in Tokyo. Colby said during his confirmation hearing in March that Japan 'should be spending at least 3% of GDP on defense as soon as possible,' citing the growing military threat from China and North Korea. Ostensibly pacifist Japan has in recent years undertaken a dramatic transformation of its security policy, including a five-year plan to ramp up defense spending to 2% of GDP by 2027. But pouring even more cash into defense coffers would come with significant political costs as the government focuses on domestic economic priorities and amid growing uncertainty over how to secure funds. Japan is currently getting far less bang for its buck as inflation and the yen's diminishing value erode its plans for the country's largest military buildup since World War II. The Financial Times report, citing a senior Japanese official, said the decision to cancel the meeting was also related to the July 20 Upper House election in which the ruling Liberal Democratic Party is expected to lose seats. In a statement given to The Japan Times on Friday, Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell pointed to a majority of NATO nations that have signed on to U.S. requests to boost defense spending to the 5% level, saying that 'European allies are now setting the global standard for our alliances, especially in Asia, which is 5% of GDP spending on defense.' Asked whether Parnell's remarks apply specifically to Japan, a U.S. defense official said it 'is inclusive for all of our allies across the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan.' Nakatani said in April that defense spending was within striking distance of the 2% target, at 1.8% of GDP. A Defense Ministry panel of experts, meanwhile, is reportedly set to recommend that the government consider hiking defense spending beyond 2%, and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has said that future budgets "may top 2%, if needed,' depending on the security environment. Ishiba and senior Japanese officials, however, have said that Japan will not be told how much to spend, reiterating that what is most important is the substance of strengthened defense capabilities — not arbitrary figures. The issue of defense spending among U.S. allies and partners will be at the top of the agenda at next week's NATO leaders' summit in The Hague, which Ishiba is also set to attend. Tensions over security issues and trade have grown since Trump took office, with the U.S. president railing against his county's alliance with Japan, calling the partnership — which turns 65 this year — unfair and 'one-sided,' while threatening Tokyo and other allies and partners with onerous tariffs on key sectors such as automobiles and steel.

NHK

9 hours ago

• NHK

Philippines accuses Chinese Coast Guard of firing water cannons

Officials in the Philippines accuse the Chinese Coast Guard of firing water cannon at one of their vessels. They say the incident took place near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. Manila made the announcement on Friday. It says four ships of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources were blocked by a Chinese Coast Guard vessel while supplying fuel to Philippine fishing boats. Officials released a video showing what appears to be a Chinese ship targeting the Philippine vessels with water cannon. They describe China's act as illegal, and say the lives of the crew members were put in danger. A spokesperson for the Chinese Coast Guard responded by saying the Philippine vessels violated international and Chinese law. He also accused them of undermining China's sovereignty. Scarborough shoal lies about 200 kilometers west of Luzon Island, within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, but is effectively controlled by China. Last year, Beijing unilaterally revised its territorial baselines to include the area.