Although the US has approved the marketing license required for US manufacturers to sell Taiwan the technology needed to build domestic submarines, the move could prove largely symbolic if the nation lacks the ability to undertake system integration, parts assembly and testing, experts said yesterday.
The US Department of State’s approval of the marketing license is a major breakthrough for Taiwan’s goal of developing its own submarines, the Ministry of National Defense said on Saturday, while expressing gratitude to the US government for helping Taiwan upgrade its self-defense capabilities.
The Presidential Office and the ministry thanked the US for its commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), which requires the US to provide Taiwan with arms and services of a defensive nature.
Although the US has continuously insisted on a peaceful settlement of cross-strait differences based on the TRA, China’s frequent military maneuvers near Taiwan have prompted Washington to take measures to ensure Taipei can maintain a credible defense through either business sales or technology transfers, National Chengchi University Institute of International Relations director Arthur Ding (丁樹範) said.
US technology transfers to Taiwan have often been limited to those of a defensive nature, with front-end technologies excluded, Ding said.
In contrast, the granting of the marketing license could be interpreted as US support for Taiwan to build domestic submarines, Ding said.
However, under this sales model, Taiwan has to manage and control downstream supply chain operations, such as system integration, he said, adding that if the government really wants to develop an indigenous defense industry, it needs clearer policies regarding budget allocation and investment.
The marketing license could indeed facilitate the building of domestic submarines, but there could still be a long way to go, because the US might not supply all the technology or equipment needed for the submarine project, such as weapons, sonar and underwater communication systems, Asia-Pacific Defense magazine editor-in-chief Kevin Cheng (鄭繼文) said.
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