This article pre-announces the launch of Taiwan's first domestically built submarine, now known as the Hai Kun-class [TSS-3s] or ("Narwhal" a whale with a sharp tusk, in English) was launched at CSBC Corporation's Kaohsiung shipyard on Sept 28, 2023. First of class, Hai Kun, will undergo harbor acceptance trails from Oct 1, 2023. It might be delivered to the Taiwanese Navy before the end of 2024. A second IDS is expected to be delivered by 2027.
Meanwhile Taiwan’s 2 Dutch built Hai Lung-class [TSS-2] subs, launched in the1986, are 37 years old. Too old, with much obsolete equipment and probably noisy, to be considered fully operational. Taiwan’s 2 World War Two US built Hai Shih-class [TSS-1] sub’s are 79-80 years old, making them accidents waiting to happen, hence very scrap worthy.
The PRC’s government instructed Global Times reported, Sept 25, along the lines – Taiwan is dreaming if it thinks its 2 modern [TSS-3] submarine force, by 2027, will make much difference. In addition to many more PRC subs the PRC has many other ASW platforms, including aircraft and surface ships.
Pete Comment
Taiwan’s two TSS-3s by 2027 are probably Japanese designed (with a resemblance to Japan's Soryu or Taigei classes and Taiwan's TSS-2s) and joint Taiwan-Japanese built. As I commented on Sept 29, 2023, all subs are a blend of derived shapes and contents, so the TSS-3s combine ancestor designs, including:
- Japan 1967 Uzushio-class design which adopted the US 1956 Barbel-class teardrop shape, for more rapid and efficient/longer range fully submerged travel. After the Uzushios Japan gradually made their submarine classes more a bit cigar shaped.
- Also the Barbel teardrop design came via the Dutch built TSS-2 design.
As both Japan and Taiwan have efficient shipbuilding industries the 2 TSS-3s will have been built very quickly. But if the PRC invades by the oft described target year of 2027 Taiwan's two modern TSS-3s subs and (by then) two 40 year old TSS-2s will be quickly destroyed. A larger force of US SSNs (Trump permitting) and Japanese SSKs will be very much needed to aid Taiwan.
I assume the PRC has added to its numerous mobile ASW resources with an
intense network of fixed undersea sensors and smart mines programmed
to detect and destroy Western (including Taiwanese) subs and ships.
6 comments:
The Narwhal was launched today. They expect her to commission in 2024, which means that most of her systems are mature, and they just need to run integration test and combat sims.
The large forward blade sonar/sensor is an interesting feature for a modern SSK..
https://youtu.be/HNTiyFpzwz8?si=z7XMXm4pxLdZdgLU
Hi Shawn
Thanks for https://youtu.be/HNTiyFpzwz8?si=z7XMXm4pxLdZdgLU and the real date of IDS now Narwhal's or Hai Kun's launch.
I've noticed the extreme potential for confusion of Taiwan's 3 submarine classes naming conventions, with successive classes being called Hai Shihs, Hai Lungs and now Hai Kuns.
So, as Biden, the Pope and now the Sec-Gen of the UN have deputized to me world submarine class Namer-in-Chief (I claim I first named Israel's Dakar-class the Dolphin 3s way back) I hereby name Taiwan Submarines (TSS). So, following this logic:
Hai Shihs = TSS-1s
Hai Lungs = TSS-2s
and
Hai Kuns = TSS-3s.
What's good for South Korea, KSS-IIIs etc, is even clearer for Taiwan's TSS-3s.
I hope and trust everyone, including millions of Taiwanese, agree? :)
Cheers Pete
@Shawn,
I believe, if I am not misunderstanding, that you are referring to what is known as an Intercept Sonar. Which is not a novel feature on a SSK, they have been around for over 30 years. Newer Intercept Sonar solutions have been introduced relying on multiple smaller sonar elements distributed all around the submarine superstructure/casing (not the sail/fin) to achieve true 360 degree converage. Intercept sonars, passive, are used to detect primarily incoming active homing torpedoes.
@Pete
ROC was presented with a solution for designing and building state of the art submarines back in 2013. Had that solution been accepted they would have had 2 subs in operation by now and a further at least 4 in operation prior to 2027. They then would have made a difference in the time frame you are describing.
Also I do believe that the TSS-3 i based on the TSS-2 with modern equipment. The Japanese assistance is to my knowledge consisting of retired production people. Not rejecting your theory though but based on my information I think a TSS-2 based variant is more realistic.
Cheers,
Pete2
Hi Pete2 at 9/28/2023 9:13 PM
First congratulatins for being the first commenter to use the TSS nomenclature :)
On your comments to me, I think in 2013 such was Western concern over alienating an undecided China (that may turn out friendly) no Western country was willing to assist Taiwan in building subs. But certainly by 2019 China's ongoing hostility to the West had been proven - so it was time to help Taiwan build the TSS-3s. Particularly Japan and a US Combat System (including Mark 48 torpedoes) were/are prominent.
Yes all subs are a blend of derived shapes and contents, so the TSS-3s combine several
ancestor designs. Japan 1967 Uzushio-class design adopted the US 1956 Barbel-class teardrop shape. Taiwan also adopted the Barbel teardrop via the Dutch built TSS-2 design. After the Uzushios Japan gradually made their submarine classes more cigar shaped.
I think if we could get a sideview launch photo of the TSS-3 the cigar shape might be apparent. This may resolve our shape speculation.
Another term for retired Japanese production people is Foreign Contractors, with foreign contractors (from several countries) assisting in design and construction of most submarine projects worldwide.
Japan's KHI and MHI contractors, with their Top Secret career knowledge of Japanese submarine designs and contruction techniques, required full Japanese Government approval to assist Taiwan in the TSS-3 Project.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbel-class_submarine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uzushio-class_submarine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hai_Lung-class_submarine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hai_Kun-class_submarine#Design
Cheers Pete
Hi! retortPouch here.
I agree with you that it's difficult to really figure out the design heritage because the Japanese and Dutch diesel submarine families (Zwaardvis, Walrus; Harushio onwards resp.) are quite explicitly export Barbel-derived, and share very similar design features. Taiwan's Hai-Lung (TSS-2) are indigenised Zwaardvis class subs, which can provide a design template.
However it is known that Japanese manufacturing technical asst. was provided in the form of very critical welding technology by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
As for the subs' usefulness, I suspect they are particularly useful, and not too late, contra. Global Times. While indeed inferior in indiscretion ratio to the Stirling equipped Yuan subs, the growing presence of an expanding fleet of credible Taiwanese subsurface platforms provides many options to counter PLAN maritime action, especially those in the periods of tension prior to war, during peacetime (political threats of blockades, even if not actually executed), and left of launch (special operations, elint, seabed operations etc.). This is a set of ops which Taiwan finds difficult to execute right now. Its presence complicates PLA planning, and provides exploitable opportunities to effect large changes in the battle situation.
The fact that GT comes out to mention it should flag notice.
I am not very confident in Taiwan's ability to fend off a PLA "takeover" scenario right now.
However, I reckon things are slowly going on the right track, especially since the end of the Chen administration.
It is hard for me to tell if it is fast enough, since the CCP, via the PLA, itself has a not unlimited risk appetite, and cannot simply charge headlong into a painful, costly and embarrassing campaign. The balance right now is complex... making it more complex is the subs' job.
Hi retortPouch at 10/09/2023 6:28 PM
Thanks for a very interesting post.
I aim to turn it into an article this week.
Cheers Pete
Post a Comment