ORIGINAL LINK : https://blog.naver.com/PostView.naver?blogId=rgm84d&logNo=223262618305
This is the scene of the launching ceremony of Hai Kun, Taiwan’s first independently designed submarine, which was constructed through the Hai Chang project. The construction proceeded at an unusually fast pace for a first submarine.
On September 28, 2023, the Taiwanese Navy held the launching ceremony of the first Taiwanese-made submarine, Hai Kun (海鯤), at the submarine factory of CSBC (台船國際) shipyard in Kaohsiung. The Hai Kun-class submarine, built according to the IDS (Indigenous Defense Submarine) construction project, is the first regular attack submarine designed and built in Taiwan. It plans to build eight more and operate them as the main submarines of the Taiwanese Navy.
If the IDS project is successful, the current Taiwanese Navy’s submarine fleet, consisting of two Hai Lung (海龍) class submarines that have exceeded 30 years of service life and two Hai Shi (海獅) class training submarines that are approaching 80 years of service life, will significantly strengthen its power by more than double.
Since the 1950s, the United States has systematically obstructed Taiwan’s possession of submarines. The first submarine of the Taiwanese Navy, the Hai Shi-class submarine, was also introduced for the purpose of training tactics to respond to China’s submarines as target ships for the surface fleet.
Taiwan’s acquisition of submarines
Taiwan, exposed to the threat of cross-strait war against China with the Taiwan Strait in between, has consistently pursued the acquisition of submarines as a force capable of ambushing attacks on China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy’s surface fleet or landing fleet at sea.
However, for about 74 years from 1949 when Taiwan was separated from the mainland to 2023, the only submarines that the Taiwanese Navy could acquire were only five, including the newly built Hai Kun-class submarine this year.
◆ U.S. obstruction of submarine acquisition?
The biggest reason for the restriction on the introduction of submarines was the opposition from the United States. The United States provided massive military support when the Free China government moved to Taiwan, but it did not want to provide submarines that could directly attack or blockade China’s ports in case of a similar situation, or to provoke China or provide powerful tools to Taiwan’s military adventurers.
Taiwan sought ways to acquire submarines other than the United States, but even if it ignored the opposition from the United States, it had no means to connect with major submarine technology owning countries due to diplomatic isolation. And it did not have the naval tradition, strong heavy industry, and various component development capabilities needed for self-construction.
The Taiwanese Navy tried to introduce the German-made TR-1700 submarine capable of long-distance operations, but Germany, fearing a deterioration in relations with China, rejected all proposals. As a second option, it tried to introduce used TR-1700 Santa Cruz-class submarines exported to Argentina.
The only submarine owned by the Taiwanese Navy at this time was the old Tench-class submarine, a GUPPY-II (Greater Underwater Propulsion Power Program-2) improved type, which was built during World War II, and there were only two Hai Shi-class submarines.
The United States allowed it to be used as a target ship for anti-submarine training to deal with Chinese submarines, and removed all torpedo tube structures so that it could not perform attack missions, and did not sell torpedoes.
The Taiwanese Navy tried to restore some operational capabilities of the Hai Shi-class submarine, but it was impossible to operate it as a normal submarine due to the fundamental performance deficiency of the ship, aging, and failure to secure the main weapon, the torpedo. Therefore, the two Hai Shi-class submarines could only be operated for training and special missions.
RDM and other submarine shipyards and related industries in the Netherlands were experiencing severe financial difficulties in the late 1970s. The Dutch Ministry of Economy actively pursued submarine exports to Taiwan to solve this problem.
Submarine acquisition through the Netherlands
This structure collapsed due to a spontaneous cause.
In 1979, diplomatic relations between the United States and Taiwan were severed, and as a result, the Taiwanese military, which had been importing major weapons and parts of weapons from the United States, faced a serious crisis. Taiwan tried indiscriminate contact with F-104 operating countries around the world with the aim of securing as many parts of the F-104, the main fighter of the Air Force, as possible.
During this process, the Netherlands, which was one of the countries contacted, was experiencing a serious economic crisis at the time, especially the situation of the shipbuilding industry was not good. In order to prevent the collapse of the country’s submarine industry and the outflow of technicians, the Netherlands had to provide new construction volumes to the shipyards as soon as possible, and during the discussion on the introduction of F-104 parts, it learned that Taiwan also wants to introduce other weapon systems such as submarines.
How Taiwan was able to introduce submarines by breaking through China’s opposition and controversy within the Netherlands was analyzed through Military Review Issue 2311.
This is the scene where Taiwan and the Netherlands sign a contract to introduce Hai Lung-class submarines. The initial negotiation was to first supply two, and then to supply an additional four submarines.
◆ Introduction of Hai Lung class and problems
