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First made-in-Taiwan submarine unveiled as island seeks to strengthen naval defences
- President Tsai Ing-wen says ‘history will forever remember this day’ as she names the prototype vessel the Hai Kun, or Narwhal
- The island’s navy eventually hopes to get its hands on eight of the subs, but defence analysts say building up its strength will be a slow process
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Lawrence Chungin Taipei
Taiwan has unveiled its first home-built submarine, which is expected to play a leading role in asymmetric warfare in the event of conflict with mainland China.
However, local defence analysts warned that it will take time for it to become combat ready and building up the Taiwanese navy’s submarine fleet in the face of a growing threat from the People’s Liberation Army will take time.
The prototype vessel – set to be completed by the end of next year – was officially named Hai Kun, or Narwhal, by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen during a ceremony in the southern city of Kaohsiung on Thursday.
“History will forever remember this day,” said Tsai as she stood in front of the prototype sealed under the cover of a huge Taiwanese flag.
Tsai, who ordered the building of the ship shortly after she became the island’s leader in 2016, said the island was able to produce its first submarine despite all odds after seven long years.
“In the past, a domestically developed submarine was considered an impossible task, but today, a submarine designed and built on our own is right before us. We did it,” she said, adding it was not only a new milestone for the island but also an “important realisation of our concrete commitment to defending” Taiwan.
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