September 26, 2018

Japanese Contractors to Help Taiwan's Submarine Project


Drawing on articles located by Anonymous on September 25, 2018, points to:

A Taiwan News articleExperts from Japanese companies Mitsubishi, Kawasaki to join Taiwan submarine project” of August 21, 2018, which states:


“Retired experts from Japan’s Mitsubishi and Kawasaki Heavy Industries [Submarine Matters categorises them as contractors who previously built Japanese submarines for MHI and KHI] will visit Taiwan" [in September 2018] "to present a report on Taiwan’s domestic submarine program, reports said [on August 21, 2018]."

"Given that other countries are no longer prepared to supply the island nation with submarines due to pressure from China, the government of [Taiwan’s] President Tsai Ing-wen has been pursuing the local manufacturing of submarines, with 2024 as the date for the first inauguration."

"However, Taiwan could still cooperate with foreign suppliers for key elements of the project, such as engine technology, the Liberty Times reported."

"Retired specialists from the two Japanese companies had been invited by CSBC Corporation, Taiwan to come over to the island in September [2018], train the necessary personnel and present a study report in October [2018]...”

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A Japanese language excite.co article dated September 21, 2018. indicated the Taiwanese and Japanese governments could not confirm any assistance from “Japanese engineers” [contractors].

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A Chinese language msn.com article, of August 31, 2018. [Caution - Where article translates in English to “yuan” actually means Taiwan Dollars (TWD) same as New Taiwan (NT) Dollars)] 

article indicates: Taiwan’s government has commenced an ambitious 8 year plan to build the prototype (first) Indigenous Defense Submarine (IDS) from 2019 until [2026?]. This 8 year project is to be funded by a US$1.6 billion (Taiwan Dollars TWD 49.3 billion) budget with US$245 million (TWD 7.51 billion) to be spent in the first 2019 financial year.

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Taiwan’s Indigenous Defense Submarine Project has politically/legally been made possible by a US government approval. A TimesNowNews article of September 25, 2018 indicating: “Beijing, which sees self-ruling Taiwan as part of its territory awaiting unification, has been incensed by recent warming ties between Washington and Taipei, including the approval by the US State Department of a preliminary licence to sell submarine technology to the island.”

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

“Taiwanese ship 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 sand integrated by the American company Lockheed Martin. The next step is the reliability of the building technical guidance. It is pointed out that the Taiwanese ship 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.

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

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.

Ztev Konrad said...

This story in The Diplomat' website gives a different take on this interesting new project

"Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) in consultation with U.S. defense contractors have evaluated design proposals from six companies including two European and two U.S. companies, as well as an Indian firm and a Japanese defense contractor.
The MoD apparently selected a European defense contractor to supply the design for the conventionally powered attack submarine."
https://thediplomat.com/2018/09/taiwans-indigenous-submarine-force-to-be-based-on-european-design/

Would it make more sense to engage 'retired' European submarine specialists who know the unknown chosen design more intimately ?

Pete said...

Thanks Ztev

Is that you in the photo or one young Stalin?

Yes The Diplomat reported Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) a mixture. Some overlap with SubMatt's article of July 18, 2018 at https://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2018/07/taiwans-new-submarine-project-wildly.html

Yes it seems odd that Taiwan has engaged "retired" Japanese MHI and KHI contractors to work with a European design.

Although perhaps the "new" Taiwanese sub design might be an updated Damen/US designed https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hai_Lung-class_submarine

with the Japanese MHI and KHI contractors suggesting updates that have gone into the part Japan/US designed Harushio "teardrop" class with non-AIP Oyashio featues.

Complicated.

Cheers

Pete

Pete said...

Hi Anonymous

Thankyou for your "Part I" and "Part II" comments of 27/9/18. Very interesting.

I'll publish them in a new article tomorrow.

Regards

Pete

Anonymous said...

Collection of Part I (yellow): Taiwanese ship ---> CSBC Corporation Taiwan

“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.

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