Taiwan’s first domestically produced submarine, the Hai-Kun-class submarine, is finally undocking for testing, marking a new era for the country’s defense capability.
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Taiwan’s first domestically built submarine, Hai Kun 711, began its undocking ceremony at Pier 91 in Kaohsiung on Monday. After CSBC Corporation installed the battery sets and the photonics mast—an imaging device that performs surveillance tasks as a periscope—a tugboat pulled the first Hai Kun-class submarine out of the pier and onto a floating platform.
Beneath the platform is an underwater wire control system designed to prevent unidentified machinery from entering the waters. Flying drones is also prohibited in the controlled airspace during the testing. Many harbors are also closed to maintain confidentiality and prevent espionage activities.
Following the undocking, the submarine is scheduled to undergo a harbor acceptance test (HAT) before September this year. After that, a series of sea acceptance tests will be conducted before CSBC delivers the submarine to the Navy.
The launch of the Hai Kun defense submarine marks a significant step in Taiwan’s “Domestic Ship, Domestically Built" policy,” that aims to elevate the country’s self-defense capability.