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
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 programme a key part of an ambitious project to modernise its armed forces as Beijing stages almost daily military exercises to assert its sovereignty.
The submarine programme 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 Corp, 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
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