Commissioning of Taiwan’s First Indigenous Submarine Within Next 2 Months

Commissioning of Taiwan’s first indigenous submarine, ‘Narwhal’ could happen after completion of it trials in August or September this year.

The Narwhal has completed day trails and is preparing for nighttime trails,  Liberty Times reported quoting military sources that the submarine will complete testing and certification in late August.

The handover from shipbuilder CSBC Corporation Taiwan to the Navy was likely to take place in late August or early September.The original date had been set for last November, but the various phases of testing took longer than expected.

Once the 256th Submarine Squadron takes delivery of the Narwhal, the Ministry of National Defense will greenlight work on the second submarine to start before the end of 2026, according to Liberty Times.

The government plan was to build seven submarines for a budget of NT$284.08 billion (US$8.82 billion) stretching over 15 years from 2025 to 2039. The price tag also covered MK-48 torpedoes and Harpoon anti-ship cruise missiles.

The Taiwanese submarine program will pose a challenge to Chinese attempts to dominate naval activity around the island of Taiwan.

Taiwan to conduct anti-submarine warfare drills

The Taiwan armed forces will conduct anti-submarine drills simulating a response to the presence of Chinese submarines southwest of Taiwan, reports said Thursday.

The exercises will take place July 27-28, Aug. 18-23, and Aug. 31 to Sept. 5, the Liberty Times reported.

The large-scale maneuvers will include anti-submarine aircraft and helicopters, drones, patrol ships, and submarines. Tracking down submarines, countering the vessels, and capturing them are all features of the program.