Taiwan's indigenous submarine undergoes final stage of harbor trials

Kaohsiung, June 15 (CNA) Taiwan's first domestically built submarine was spotted undergoing trials at a southern harbor on Saturday, with a source close to the matter confirming to CNA that the tests were part of the final stage of harbor trials before moving on to sea trials.

The confirmation was made after photojournalists at Kaohsiung took photographs and video recordings showing the Narwhal, Taiwan's Indigenous Defense Submarine (IDS) prototype, leaving its constructor CSBC Corp., Taiwan's dock at the Port of Kaohsiung on Saturday afternoon.

The IDS prototype was seen sailing slowly around the port on its own with more than 10 technicians on board its deck.

When asked to comment, an unnamed military source told CNA that Saturday's tests were part of the final stage of the ongoing harbor acceptance tests (HAT). The IDS was conducting power-related system tests, the source added.

If everything goes as planned, the HAT will be completed soon before moving on to the sea acceptance tests (SAT), the unnamed source said.

Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a division director at the Taiwan military-funded think tank Institute for National Defense and Security Research, told CNA that the latest photographs and video clips show the IDS is making progress and likely to still be able to meet the scheduled November delivery deadline to the Navy.

The last time the Narwhal was spotted leaving CSBC's floating dock in April, the submarine was pulled by a work boat instead of sailing on its own, Su said.

The fact the IDS was sailing on its own means tests have been conducted on its engine, stern, and engineering systems, he added.

Video clips also show that the draft of the submarine prototype, or the depth of the vessel below the waterline, is deeper than in its previous round of tests in April, Su said.

A deeper draft means all the key equipment has been installed with fuel functions operational, indicating the HAT is almost completed, and could soon move on to SAT, he said.

According to the original timeline set by the Ministry of National Defense, the Narwhal's SAT was supposed to begin in April and be completed by Sept. 30 to meet the November delivery deadline. However, media reports have repeatedly detailed setbacks to the SAT schedule.

Without directly confirming the delay, Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) told CNA in an interview last month that the SAT for the Narwhal would only proceed once all safety requirements are fully met.

He added that there is no definitive schedule as to when the SAT will begin.