TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) confirmed Tuesday (Sept. 30) that the prototype submarine "Hai-Kun" (海鯤號) will be delivered to the Navy by November's end despite significant testing delays. Koo addressed the Legislative Yuan (立法院), Taiwan's parliament, acknowledging challenges in preparation and testing progress for the domestically-built submarine. The delivery timeline faces mounting pressure as Taiwan accelerates its indigenous defense capabilities amid regional security concerns.
Koo spoke before Premier Cho Jung-tai's (卓榮泰) policy inquiry session, thanking former convener Huang Shu-kuang (黃曙光) for submarine program contributions. The Defense Minister emphasized the Navy will continue overseeing project management and construction of Taiwan's first domestically-built submarine. Koo stated diving preparations and testing require acceleration to ensure safety standards before advancing to operational deployment phases.
Koo responded that potential penalties for CSBC Corporation (台船), Taiwan's state-owned shipbuilder, will be executed according to contract terms when questioned about project delays. The Defense Minister noted current focus remains on expediting diving preparations and testing efforts for the submarine program. The Ministry of National Defense (MND, 國防部), Taiwan's defense ministry, faces mounting pressure to meet the November delivery deadline through efficient project execution. ◼