TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's first domestically built submarine faces an uncertain launch timeline as safety concerns have delayed its highly anticipated sea trials. Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) emphasized Wednesday (April 23) that rigorous safety standards must be met before the Hai Kun (海鯤號) submarine can commence open-water testing.
The Hai Kun submarine, a cornerstone of Taiwan's indigenous defense development program, was originally scheduled for sea trials this month. During questioning at the Legislative Yuan (Taiwan's parliament) earlier that day, Koo revealed that CSBC Corporation (台船), Taiwan's primary shipbuilder, has been working overtime to address unspecified technical deficiencies.
While the submarine has successfully completed its initial harbor acceptance tests, officials have reported no progress toward the scheduled April sea trials. When questioned about possible penalties for CSBC Corporation missing the April deadline, Koo downplayed concerns, stating that no contractual issues would arise as long as the final November delivery timeline remains intact.
Despite the setbacks, Koo expressed cautious optimism that the submarine might still commence sea trials before May, while emphasizing that safety standards cannot be compromised. Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) had similarly stressed the primacy of safety requirements during comments made Tuesday. When reporters pressed Po about potential further delays, he responded with notable restraint: "I don't have any information at hand to share now." ★
