Legislators yesterday said they would support the budget to buy eight diesel-powered submarines if the subs were equipped with Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) systems, which enables a vessel to be submerged under water for longer periods of time.
"What Taiwan needs is a really advanced submarine force, not an outdated one. I think a submarine force with the AIP system would be an advanced force," said Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Shuai Hua-ming (帥化民).
Minister of National Defense Lee Jye (李傑) said at the legislature on Thursday that the ministry currently has no plan to include AIP systems in the submarine deal because they are not a "mature technology," and because it would be a heavy financial burden on the navy.
However, Lee said, "the US and the ministry will select contractors and the type of submarines only after Taiwan approves the purchase, and the ministry has not ruled out the possibility of equipping the subs with AIP systems."
Chief of Navy Lee Hai-tung (李海東) yesterday said that, with an AIP system, a submarine could submerge for two weeks or longer without having to surface. In contrast, he said, a diesel-electric submarine without an AIP system must surface every four to seven days.
Subs must eventually surface to replenish their air supply and recharge their batteries.
KMT Legislators Shuai and Lu Hsiu-yen (盧秀燕) said a diesel submarine without an AIP system must surface and thus reveal its position every 4 to 5 days, and such a submarines have limited combat capabilities.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lee Wen-chung (
As a result, the AIP system should not be seen as a cutting-edge technology, but he will nonetheless urge the ministry to obtain it, Lee said.
Chang Li-teh (張立德), a senior editor with the Chinese-language Defense Technology Monthly magazine, said if a Taiwanese sub force wants to have a strategic edge against China in defending territorial waters and for reconnaissance missions, it would be better to have a submarine force with the AIP system.
Chang also said the reality is that it would take conventional diesel-powered submarines three to four days to travel from Taiwan to the South China or East China Seas, and then they would need to surface. He also said that it is very easy for diesel submarines to be detected and attacked when they surface because the process is very noisy.
ANOTHER EMERGES: The CWA yesterday said this year’s fourth storm of the typhoon season had formed in the South China Sea, but was not expected to affect Taiwan Tropical Storm Gaemi has intensified slightly as it heads toward Taiwan, where it is expected to affect the country in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 8am yesterday, the 120km-radius storm was 800km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving at 9kph northwest, the agency said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued tonight at the earliest, it said, adding that the storm is projected to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday. Gaemi’s potential effect on Taiwan remains unclear, as that would depend on its direction, radius and intensity, forecasters said. Former Weather Forecast
Taiwanese barista Xie Yi-chen (謝溢宸) recently triumphed at the 2024 World Coffee Championships, taking home 1st place in the World Latte Art category. Xie, 28, impressed the judges in the final round with patterns of a whale, a moose, and a dragon in the three-day competition that took place in Copenhagen, Denmark from June 27-29, clinching the title of latte art world champion during his first time representing Taiwan on the world stage. At a press conference held by the Taiwan Coffee Association on Thursday, Xie said that creating latte art gives him a tremendous feeling of achievement. Speaking about his entries in
TRAVEL CONVENIENCE: The program is to shorten wait times while passing through airport checks and would start for Taiwanese from January next year Japan is to launch a new program to expedite entry procedures for Taiwanese starting from January next year. The Japanese government is planning to introduce new rules to shorten the time it takes foreign travelers to pass through immigration, thereby attracting more tourists to visit, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported yesterday. An airport preclearance program would be implemented to allow foreign travelers to finish some screenings at their departure airport’s terminals and undergo simple confirmation procedures upon arrival, it said. The program would initially be applied to travelers from Taiwan from January next year and could be extended to travelers from elsewhere depending
The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) working group for Taiwan-related policies is likely to be upgraded to a committee-level body, a report commissioned by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said. As Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is increasingly likely to upgrade the CCP’s Central Leading Group for Taiwan Affairs, Taiwanese authorities should prepare by researching Xi and the CCP, the report said. At the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the CCP, which ended on Thursday last week, the party set a target of 2029 for the completion of some tasks, meaning that Xi is likely preparing to