America Providing Advanced Systems For Taiwan’s New Submarine

The U.S Navy represent the pinnacle of submarine technology. With a few notable exceptions, this is not exported. Now Taiwan, which has unveiled its first locally designed submarine, is relying on some key elements of American tech.

Taiwan held the launch ceremony of its first indigenous submarine, Hai Kun, in the port city of Kaohsiung on September 28 2023.

An analysis of imagery confirms that the  submarine is based on the Hai Lung-class already in service. The Hai Lungs are generally well balanced boats which form a solid starting point for Taiwan’s to develop its own submarines.

The Hai Kun-class is essentially a reverse engineered Hai Lung (Zwaardvis) class with a few visible differences. The submarine has been brought up to date however with the incorporation of modern U.S. supplied systems.

Dutch Design Lineage, Updated

Taiwan received two Hai Lungs from the Netherlands in the 1980s. Their design is based on the Dutch Zwaardvis-class, which itself is derived from the U.S. Navy’s Barbel-class. So in design terms the new boat is directly descended from the American and Dutch lineage.

Despite this, there has been widespread speculation in media that the submarines are in some way based on Japanese types. While reports that Japanese engineers provided assistance may be true, the extent of the design influence is overstated. Coincidentally modern Japanese submarines are also descended from the Barbel lineage so have some similar design choices.

Even today the basic pattern of the Zwaardvis remains valid. They are seagoing designs suitable for relatively long patrols. They can be characterized as having a relatively large weapons load, ample crew accommodation, and space for three diesel generators. This latter feature allows for rapid recharging of the batteries.

Although the Hai Kun-class’ basis is Dutch, the design, construction and equipment is a local project. Inside there are many new systems replacing the 1980s technology of the Hai Lungs.

America Providing Key Systems to Taiwan

The mast system aboard the Hai Kun-class is expected to be similar in nature to the system aboard the U.S. Navy’s Virginia-class, seen here. Photo U.S. Navy

Externally the Hai Kun-class can be differentiated from the earlier Hai Lungs by the switch to X-form rudders. It also has a more modern blended sail, which is built around a modern mast system.

The masts are supplied by L3 Harris and are expected to include electro-optical ‘periscopes’. These masts, which are similar to the ones aboard the U.S. Navy’s Virginia-class, have several advantages. They do not penetrate the hull so they are safer for the boat if it accidentally hits a ship.  This happens frequently enough to be a real concern with traditional periscopes which go into the hull. When they hit something they can bend and cause leaks where they meet the hull. The new system is completely outside the hull so this will not happen.

Another advantage is that they are modular, meaning that new masts can easily be switched in or out. And the modern optics means that the periscope doesn’t have to be raised for as long, so it is less likely to be detected.

Heavy Armament

The submarine will be armed with the U.S. supplied MK-48 Mod6 Advanced Technology (AT) heavyweight torpedoes. 18 were approved for sale to Taiwan in 2020. These weapons, while not the latest model, are thoroughly modern. Their carriage will provide both anti-ship and anti-submarine capabilities.

The torpedoes are expected to be complemented by the submarine-launched version of the U.S. Navy’s famous Harpoon anti-ship missile. The UGM-84 Sub-Harpoon is already in service with Taiwan aboard the Hai Lunch-class.

The weapons are integrated into a combat management system supplied by Lockheed Martin. This is fed target data from the submarine’s primary sensor, a sonar suite supplied by Raytheon. This features a bow array below the torpedo tubes, and large flank arrays running along either side.

Taiwan will be rightly proud of the achievement of designing and building its first submarine. Naturally in such an endeavor many key systems have to be imported. And America is providing the most conspicuous elements which promise to make it a potent fighting machine.