“It will make history”: Taiwan introduced the first submarine of its own production

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Taiwan unveiled the first submarine of its own production on Thursday. “This day will go down in history forever,” Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen (67) said at a ceremony in the port city of Kaohsiung. Building a submarine in Taiwan has long been considered impossible. “But today, standing right in front of us is a submarine designed and built by our own people; we did it,” he continued, standing in front of the prototype dressed in the colors of the Taiwanese flag.

Taiwan is trying to strengthen its defense capabilities against militarily vastly superior China. Since its separation in 1949, Beijing has viewed the self-governing island as a breakaway territory that it wants to reunify with the mainland. The presence of Chinese warships and army aircraft around Taiwan has increased significantly in recent years.

US torpedoes on board

The first prototype currently on offer in Taiwan is called “Hai Kun”, which means “legendary sea creature” in Chinese. “Hai Kun” is 80 meters long and equipped with combat systems and torpedoes from the US company Lockheed Martin.

The submarine is currently being tested at sea. President Tsai said Hai Kun could be operational by 2025. But some defense experts say it could take longer.

Taiwan’s navy currently has two operational submarines, which it purchased from the Netherlands in the 1980s. Washington approved the delivery of eight more submarines in 2001, but the purchase was never completed.

China threatened Taiwan

During the same period, China transformed its navy into one of the largest navies in the world. According to the US Department of Defense, the country has approximately 60 submarines, six of which are nuclear-powered and equipped with ballistic missiles.

China’s Defense Ministry has called Taiwan’s strategy to defend itself from China with a self-made submarine “stupid nonsense.” A ministry spokesman said that no matter how much weapons Taipei produces, it can neither “stop the general trend towards national reunification” nor shake the Chinese military’s ability to “defend national sovereignty.” (AFP)

Source :Blick