September 28, 2018

Firmer Details of Japanese Contractors for Taiwan's Submarine Program - Previous German Help?

Photo of CSBC’s Kaohsiung shipyard where Taiwan's new submarines will likely be built. (Photo courtesy George Mourndreas & Company S.A.
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Anonymous has kindly provided comments below this article. These comments are based on Zhu Ming, for tw (Taiwan) news.yahoo.com Mandarin Chinese language article, of September 23, 2018. Pete has further translated the article/comments as follows:

Taiwan’s CSBC Corporation has hired Japanese contractors for Taiwan’s Indigenous Defense Submarine (IDS) Program, with the first submarine to be built in a shed to avoid satellite surveillance.

Taiwan’s IDS Program has commenced. The combat system integrator is Lockheed Martin. Taiwan’s CSBC Corporation is hiring foreign contractors to assess the proposed design. Japanese contractors will play an important role in planning facilities for submarine components as well as test equipment for submarine construction and repair. The contractors will also train provide Taiwanese welders on how to attach the submarine’s steel plates.

Submarine construction and repair facilities will take place in a secure shed to avoid satellite [and presumably spies in and around the shipyard] photography. Hence the shed doors will remain closed during construction. After completion the submarines will slide from the shed on tracks into the water.

The Japanese contractors from the submarine divisions of MHI and KHI are planning the submarines’ construction and repair facilities as well as conducting site surveys in Taiwan to select the best construction and test facility locations. It took only four days [?] to formulate the questions in the surveys. The contractors provide expertise and experience on all these issues.

As well as construction and repair facilities there will be sites selected for test facilities. These sites will be used to test submarines’ internal systems (other than combat systems) before installation. Air conditioning equipment is a simple example. Testing will assess whether systems function together to the standards set in performance requirements. If performance requirements are met each device or system will be installed into the interior of the submarine before dry land testing of the submarine. Welding of the submarine’s sections will take place once performance requirements (set out by the Japanese contractors) are met.

"In addition to the original German-based consultants" [?] Taiwan’s CSBC Corporation has recently hired Japanese MHI and KHI submarine welding engineers. Submarine welding training, up to the high class seven stage will be conducted on a 1-on-1 basis. Japanese welding engineers for the initial stage have already arrived at CSBC’s Kaohsiung shipyard, and have begun to teach new CSBC  employees the initial three-month submarine welding course. After the initial course training at the intermediate level will follow. By the time actual submarine construction begins in 2021, training at qualified senior welding level will have been achieved.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Part I CSBC Corporation Taiwan [1]

“CSBC Corporation Taiwan hired Japanese team as Indigenous Submarine building advisers, hiding satellite surveillance by adopting a closed shipyard” (23/Sept/2018) Part I

The Indigenous Defense Submarine (IDS) has been set up in the platform, and the combat system is being analyzed and integrated by the American company Lockheed Martin. The next step is the reliability of the building technical guidance. It is pointed out that CSBC Corporation Taiwan will be hired through the analysis of foreign advisers. Japanese technical advisers will play an important role in planning and building submarine plants and test platforms for “building and repairing”, as well as future guidance on welding steel plates.

Taiwan build the "building and repairing” submarine plant adopting a closed shipyard, and its secrecy escapes satellite photography from the sky. The mechanical door of the shipyard is closed during building. The progress of building and the equipments to be installed inside the submarine cannot be seen from the outside. After the submarine is built, it can be pulled out by the track and can be launched directly.

The senior engineers from submarine divisions of MHI and KHI complete the current planning for the "building and repairing" submarine plant. It is pointed out that these engineers come to Taiwan to conduct site surveys at selected plant locations. It took nearly four days to ask all the information in detail about the scheduled plant area. After that building plant and process needed professional attention as well as calculating the equipment and equipment needed in the plant and how many units and installation locations are prpposed.

[1] https://tw.news.yahoo.com/%E7%8D%A8%E5%AE%B6-%E5%8F%B0%E8%88%B9%E8%81%98%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E5%9C%98%E9%9A%8A%E4%BB%BB%E6%BD%9B%E8%89%A6%E5%9C%8B%E9%80%A0%E9%A1%A7%E5%95%8F-%E8%BA%B2%E8%A1%9B%E6%98%9F%E5%81%B5%E7%85%A7%E6%8E%A1%E5%B0%81%E9%96%89%E5%BC%8F%E5%BB%A0%E6%88%BF-040000714.html

Anonymous said...

Part II of CSBC Corporation Taiwan [1]

It is pointed out that in addition to the "build and repair" submarine factory area, there is also a "test platform" area. This area is used to carry out submarine performance testing of each internal system (not including combat system) before installation. For the simplest air conditioning equipment as an example, in addition to testing whether it meets the required specifications. It is necessary to connect with the host first to see the connection between the two; or other power systems work together to test the operation, whether it meets the standard. After all the tests are successful, each device is installed step by step into the interior of the submarine and connected with the system before ground testing on the submarine. Therefore, the importance of the test platform area will not be lower than that of the welding technology, and the planning area of the test platform has also been written by Japanese advisers.

On the most basic welding technology for the building of submarine, in addition to the original German advisers, CSBC Corporation Taiwan recently hired several retired MHI and KHI submarine welding engineers through the Japanese team's channel. Requrired submarine welding, the most critical class seven welding technology is guided and trained one by one, and its pointed out that the Japanese welding engineers in the initial stage have successively arrived in Kaohsiung, and begin to teach new employees recruited by CSBC Corporation Taiwan r to conduct training for the three-month primary submarine welding technology. After the initial training, the training of the intermediate welding technology of the submarine is carried out. When the building is started in 2021, training of qualified senior welding engineers will complete.

[1] https://tw.news.yahoo.com/%E7%8D%A8%E5%AE%B6-%E5%8F%B0%E8%88%B9%E8%81%98%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E5%9C%98%E9%9A%8A%E4%BB%BB%E6%BD%9B%E8%89%A6%E5%9C%8B%E9%80%A0%E9%A1%A7%E5%95%8F-%E8%BA%B2%E8%A1%9B%E6%98%9F%E5%81%B5%E7%85%A7%E6%8E%A1%E5%B0%81%E9%96%89%E5%BC%8F%E5%BB%A0%E6%88%BF-040000714.html

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry to use Google Translator.


Taiwan's IDS team's hired retired submarine experts around the world. For example, with the exception of Kawasaki / Mitsubishi, the team has hired a chief engineer who designed the Zwaardvis class submarine in the Netherlands, a German submarine technician, and even a Russian submarine technician (according to rumors).

In this case, India offered a Scorpene class submarine to Taiwan. Japan has proposed an improved version of the Yūshio or Harushio-class submarine, Italy proposed a modern version of the sauro class (reportedly), the United States proposed a Babel class submarine, and Korea proposed a 209 class submarine (according to rumors). I do not know who will win.



Taiwanese companies have manufactured submarine parts. For example, a steel plate slightly weaker than the hy-80 was produced by a Taiwanese steel company and will be used for Taiwan submarines. However, since many parts can not be manufactured by Taiwan, most parts are planned to be imported from Europe. Very sensitive things like combat systems and sonar are imported from the United States.


Lockheed Martin plays a very important role in business. They advised Taiwan to adopt x rudder. Not Cross-from rudder.


Taiwan has no experience in submarine manufacturing. Taiwan is trying to fill the gap with hiring overseas experts who have retired their scarce experience. Especially Japanese experts were employed. Taiwan has even hired engineers who used to weld boats at the Mitsubishi shipyard to transfer welding know-how to Taiwanese engineers.

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry to use Google Translator.


Taiwan's IDS team's hired retired submarine experts around the world. For example, with the exception of Kawasaki / Mitsubishi, the team has hired a chief engineer who designed the Zwaardvis class submarine in the Netherlands, a German submarine technician, and even a Russian submarine technician (according to rumors).

In this case, India offered a Scorpene class submarine to Taiwan. Japan has proposed an improved version of the Yūshio or Harushio-class submarine, Italy proposed a modern version of the sauro class (reportedly), the United States proposed a Babel class submarine, and Korea proposed a 209 class submarine (according to rumors). I do not know who will win.



Taiwanese companies have manufactured submarine parts. For example, a steel plate slightly weaker than the hy-80 was produced by a Taiwanese steel company and will be used for Taiwan submarines. However, since many parts can not be manufactured by Taiwan, most parts are planned to be imported from Europe. Very sensitive things like combat systems and sonar are imported from the United States.


Lockheed Martin plays a very important role in business. They advised Taiwan to adopt x rudder. Not Cross-from rudder.


Taiwan has no experience in submarine manufacturing. Taiwan is trying to fill the gap with hiring overseas experts who have retired their scarce experience. Especially Japanese experts were employed. Taiwan has even hired engineers who used to weld boats at the Mitsubishi shipyard to transfer welding know-how to Taiwanese engineers.

Anonymous said...

Will President Xi raise this assistance issue to PM Abe during his October state visit? Given Abe is pushing for a rapprochement with China as a leverage against the US coming tariffs on Japanese autos and components and US pressure upon Japan to open its agricultural markets (a strategic electoral issue in Japan), how is Abe going to respond to Xi. On defense matters, you cannot deny that you know nothing or cannot do anything about old retirees looking for a side job to supplement their pensions.
Geopolitically, I have doubts on the staying power of Japanese or South Korean technical assistance to Taiwan when China starts squeezing and they will.

Pete said...

Hi Anonymous [at 29/9/18 2:21 PM]

Thankyou for your comments. I'll turn them into an article to appear on Tuesday October 2, 2018.

Regards

Pete

Pete said...

Hi Anonymous [of 29/9/18 5:01 PM]

Thankyou for your comments.

I'll turn them into an article set for Wednesday 3 October.

Regards

Pete