Taiwan unveils first indigenously built submarine

Taiwan's first locally built submarine is seen here before it was officially unveiled by President Tsai Ing-wen at the CSBC Corporation shipbuilding company in Kaohsiung on 28 September 2023. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images)

Taiwanese shipbuilder CSBC Corporation has unveiled the country's first indigenously developed submarine, which will be in service with the Republic of China Navy (RoCN).

The boat was unveiled by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on 28 September at CSBC's facilities in Kaohsiung. A ceremony to mark the occasion was broadcast live on online streaming services operated by Taiwanese news outlets.

In her address at the ceremony, President Tsai made some remarks praising the Taiwanese naval industry and the RoCN for achieving the milestone but no further details on the vessel were disclosed other than its name. The vessel will be in service as ROCS Hai Kun once commissioned.

The vessel has an overall length of about 70 m, an overall beam of about 8 m, and will likely displace about 2,700 tonnes at full load.

A biennial policy report published by Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) on 12 September indicates that the vessel was laid down in November 2021 and is scheduled for completion in 2024. The boat is slated for delivery to the RoCN in 2025.

Images from the ceremony confirm that Taiwan's defence planners have opted to incorporate an X-rudder stern on its submarines, instead of a traditional cruciform rudder arrangement. This has likely been done to provide the vessel with superior manoeuvrability in shallower waters.

A large twelve-rayed sun emblem covers the bow of the submarine, presumably to avoid revealing any details on the vessel's torpedo tubes.

Hai Kun