Two Taiwanese defense academics offered their insights into the design of Taiwan’s first Indigenous Defense Submarine (IDS), the Hai Kun (海鯤), or “Narwhal” which made its debut on Thursday and was dubbed a milestone in Taiwan’s efforts to produce domestic submarines and achieve “defense autonomy.”
Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲) and Shu Hsiao-huang (舒孝煌) from the government-funded think tank Institute for National Defense and Security Research, both attended the launch ceremony at a shipyard in Kaohsiung belonging to CSBC Corp, Taiwan. The contractor for the IDS project said they believe the prototype is primarily based on the body of Japan’s Soryu-class submarines, while its sail, the superstructure that rises from the submarine’s deck, bears similarities to the UK’s Astute-class submarines.
CSBC chairman Cheng Wen-lon (鄭文 隆) said that the IDS prototype carries the pennant number “711” and features an X-shaped rudder, a departure from the cross-shaped rudder seen on previous models, giving it an edge over Taiwan’s other submarines in active service.
Photo: AFP
‘x’
Su said the Narwhal’s X-shaped tail and two horizontal stabilizers resemble the designs of Israeli’s Dolphin-class diesel-electric submarine.
The “X” shape has proven more maneuverable than the traditional cruciform shape. Meanwhile, the horizontal stabilizers provide better stability, handling and stealth, and allows for quicker emergency floats and dives, he said.
At Thursday’s ceremony, the bow of the submarine, along with the torpedo tubes and other critical components, were concealed beneath a Taiwanese flag. Cheng said this measure was taken to prevent the disclosure of many confidential parts of the submarine for security reasons, pending further testing.
When asked why the navy chose to cover the Narwhal’s tail during the ceremony, Shu said that “enemy forces” could estimate the prototype’s underwater speed and acoustic fingerprints by observing its number of propellers, their angles and structural designs.
Besides its weapons system and propeller designs, both Su and Shu said it was important to closely monitor the indigenous submarine’s sonar system, which was also concealed for security reasons.
SONAR
The academics said that modern submarines, including the Narwhal, have a bow array sonar as main sonar sensor, and a passive “incept sonar” system to detect sound waves approaching it.
The Narwhal also boasts a flank sonar array mounted symmetrically on the port and starboard sides, enhancing detection characteristics at low frequencies thanks to the increased array aperture.
The flank sonar array provides the submarine with “eyes on its two sides,” significantly expanding its range capabilities and performance, Shu added.
Meanwhile, Su discussed his understanding of why the designers of the IDS prototype opted for the traditional deep-cycle flooded/wet lead-acid battery over the more advanced air-independent propulsion system, a marine propulsion technology that allows a non-nuclear submarine to operate without access to atmospheric oxygen.
Though the wet lead-acid battery has a shorter lifespan, it is more stable and reliable to operate, which is a priority for Taiwan’s first IDS, he said.
Retired admiral Huang Shu-kuang (黃曙光) said that following the ceremony, the prototype would undergo a harbor acceptance test, followed by a sea acceptance test, and is expected to be delivered to the navy before the end of 2024.
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