Taiwan's future FOREIGN Designed submarines - Part 1.

As announced in the South China Morning Post (SCMP) May 9, 2019: Taiwan has offered a glimpse (see Photo A. below) of the home-built submarine designed to deter China. The shipbuilder says the first "indigenous" submarine will be launched in five years [very optimistic!] as construction work begins. Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen hails progress as proof of the island’s ability to defend itself.

Pete Comment

"Indigenous submarine" is a political slogan to justify the high cost of building 8 non-standard foreign designed submarines. This slogan is also used in Taiwan's attempt to deflect mainland China's anger away from the foreign (US, Japanese, UK and European) submarine companies designing and building the "indigenous" submarines. The submarines will be assembled in in Taiwan's China Shipbuilding Corporation (CSBC) Kaohsiung shipyard but they are a collection of specialized, mostly existing, components - sonars, computers, weapons, highly specialized motors and diesels etc, that Taiwan cannot invent.

Replacement subs for Taiwan have long been blocked by Chinese pressure deterring, foreign assistance, through trade threats. Only the US government's 2018 decision to allow US companies to assist Taiwan has made the "indigenous" submarine program possible.

In 2018 Submarine Matters identified the major contractors designing and instructing how to build the "indigenous" submarines. Contractors include "retired" Japanese KHI and MHI employees and the US combat system and more generalized submarine integrator Lockheed Martin. The sub's US built Harpoon missiles and Mark 48 torpedoes are standard components of the Lockheed Martin integration.

Another, perhaps notional, major contractor assisting Taiwan is UK Gibraltar based Gavron Ltd. Gavron may not have the staff or experience to design submarines but Taiwan identifying it spreads out Chinese blame of those countries assisting Taiwan to the UK.

Doubt that it is a fundamentally new, indigenous, submarine is even more evident given the short "five year" construction phase and relatively small budget Taiwan has quoted over the years 

The "indigenous" submarine building program and subsequent Lockheed Martine upgrades also serves Taiwan as an opportunity to financially and politically maintain, even strengthen ties with the US. Taiwan's sees the US as its main protector under the rather tentative Taiwan Relations Act.

"Indigenous" submarine's close resemblance to Japan's Soryu indicates its not indigenous!

Photo A. The most recent model (above) of Taiwan's future submarines bears a striking similarity to Japan's latest Soryu class submarine (at Photo B. below).  (Photo courtesy Focus Taiwan News Channel May 9, 2019). Points of similarity include:

-  flat on top, as part of a teardrop shape

-  position of fin/sail is well forward 

-  diving planes are mounted on the fin/sail 

-  the Soryu uses Harpoon anti-ship and land attack missiles. Taiwan will also use Harpoons as a
   carry over from Taiwan's current Hai Lung class (see Wiki's right sidebar)

-  Japan's Type 89 torpedoes are similar to Taiwan's US made Mark 48 torpedoes used on Taiwan's
   current Hai Lung class

-  both subs have X-plane tails

Photo B. The model is of Japanese Navy Soryu class submarine
(Courtesy Japan's https://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/kure46cm/diary/201111130000/ )
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Taiwan's future "indigenous" submarine is much smaller than the Soryu. This suggests Taiwan's submarine might carry less diesel fuel for shorter range defensive missions of Taiwan's small landmass and it probably won't have AIP.

Mike Chou, executive vice president and director of Taiwan's CSBC's submarine development center, revealed that the future submarine prototype will be about 70m long, 8m "wide" [beam] and 18m "high" [ = 8m beam + 10m sail/fin]. It will be around 2,500 to 3,000 tons. 

This is considerably smaller than the Soryu's 84m long, 9.1m beam, 2,900 tonnes (surfaced) to 4,200 (submerged).

Instead Taiwan's future submarine appears to be a slight increase in size and therefore capability to Taiwan's existing Hai Lung class (66.9m long, 8.4m beam, 2,376 tons (surfaced) to 2,660 tons (submerged).

The projected extra tonnage capacity might be taken up with emerging torpedo tube launched autonomous sensors/weapons, eg. AUV/UUVs and additional smart homing or mobile mines.

More on Thursday about weapons and what Taiwan's future submarines will be used for.

Pete