Taiwan’s indigenous submarine prototype, the Hai Kun, has completed another key round of sea trials as the vessel moves closer to entering naval service. The submarine departed from the Port of Kaohsiung for its latest testing mission, marking its 15th sea trial and ninth submerged navigation test.
The latest trial comes after a scheduled sea test on Friday was postponed due to unfavorable weather conditions.
Developed under Taiwan’s Indigenous Defense Submarine program, the Hai Kun is considered a major step in the island’s efforts to modernize its naval capabilities and reduce reliance on foreign-built platforms.
Shipbuilder CSBC Corp, Taiwan, has faced mounting pressure after missing its original delivery deadline in November last year due to what it described as testing delays.
However, the company indicated earlier this year that it hoped to deliver the submarine to the Navy in the coming months.
Taiwan’s Minister of National Defense, Wellington Koo, said testing would continue in accordance with established procedures, emphasizing that safety and quality remain the top priorities throughout the evaluation process. Military expert Chi Tung-yun noted that the trials are designed to gather critical performance data under controlled conditions.
He revealed that testing requires the collection of key performance parameters, and minimizing environmental variables helps ensure greater accuracy in the data obtained.
According to Chi, the 2,500-ton submarine still faces several demanding assessments before it can be formally handed over. These include seaworthiness evaluations, deep-diving exercises, and overnight operational tests designed to validate the submarine’s performance under realistic operating conditions.
If the remaining trials are completed successfully, the vessel could be delivered to Taiwan’s navy sometime between next month and September, according to Chi.
The Hai Kun is expected to become the first operational submarine built entirely under Taiwan’s domestic submarine program, a project aimed at strengthening the country’s ability to defend its surrounding waters.
A major element of Taiwan’s submarine modernization effort is the planned arrival of US-made MK 48 Mod 6 Advanced Technology heavyweight torpedoes.
The Navy is scheduled to receive 28 MK 48 Mod 6 warshot torpedoes over the next two years, while training variants have already been delivered.
The weapon is the primary heavyweight torpedo used by the US Navy and offers greater speed, range, and guidance capabilities than the German-made SUT torpedoes currently in Taiwanese service.
According to publicly available specifications, the MK 48 Mod 6 weighs more than 1.6 tonnes, carries a roughly 650-pound(295 kg) high-explosive warhead, can travel at speeds of up to 55 knots (101.9 kph), and has a range exceeding 23.6 miles (38 km).
Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology president Lee Shih-chiang told lawmakers that the upgraded Hai Lung has already completed qualification testing using both SUT and MK 48 training torpedoes.
With the Hai Kun nearing delivery, the modernization of the Chien Lung-class submarines nearing completion, and advanced torpedoes scheduled to arrive next year, Taiwan’s navy is steadily expanding its undersea warfare capabilities and strengthening its maritime deterrence posture.
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Atharva is a full-time content writer with a post-graduate degree in media & amp; entertainment and a graduate degree in electronics & telecommunications. He has written in the sports and technology domains respectively. In his leisure time, Atharva loves learning about digital marketing and watching soccer matches. His main goal behind joining Interesting Engineering is to learn more about how the recent technological advancements are helping human beings on both societal and individual levels in their daily lives.
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