Taiwan shipbuilder refutes submarine prototype hull deformation rumor

Taipei, June 22 (CNA) Shipbuilder CSBC Corp., Taiwan has refuted a widespread internet rumor that the nation's first indigenous submarine prototype showed signs of hull deformation during initial sea trials last week.

In a statement issued last week, CSBC said a protrusion on the port side of the bow of the Narwhal, or Hai Kun, housed the submarine's passive ranging sonar system, and was not a deformation as alleged by some internet users.

According to CSBC, the sonar dome protects the sonar system, and the protrusion is due to the installation of high-precision electronic sonar components inside the dome.

CSBC said it is working closely with Taiwan's Navy and specialists in the area to uphold the highest standard and ensure the Narwhal passes all required checks before delivery.

The clarification came after several social media posts questioned if an uneven section of the Narwhal's port-side bow in a photograph of the prototype during its first sea trial on June 17 outside the Port of Kaohsiung was a sign of hull deformation.

On Sunday, an unnamed national security source familiar with information security told reporters that such online posts raising false accusations targeting the Narwhal and its first sea trial began only hours after the prototype completed the first day of sea trials earlier on June 17.

The unnamed source said that the posts were believed to be part of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) campaign to spread military disinformation targeting Taiwan.

According to the source, the CCP's campaign has utilized fake social media accounts and conspired with "Voice of the Strait" -- a Chinese state-run radio station operated by the People's Liberation Army targeting Taiwan -- to raise questions about the submarine prototype and discredit Taiwan's military achievements online.

The source called on Taiwanese people to be aware of such CCP disinformation campaigns, which they said are expected to proliferate in the coming months as the indigenous submarine program advances.

The June 17 trial saw the Narwhal complete a series of tests involving the submarine's propulsion, rudder, electricity, communication and navigation systems during its first day of floating navigation tests, CSBC said in a June 18 press release.

The shipbuilder said it would now fine-tune these systems accordingly based on the test results before moving on to the next stage of the submarine's sea trials that will require the vessel to be fully submerged at increasing depths, the statement added.

According to CSBC, the three stages of a submarine's sea trials are floating navigation, shallow depth testing, and gradual depth increase testing.

Each of the three stages will feature several trials and adjustments to related systems.

The beginning of sea trials on June 17 came after the prototype completed harbor acceptance tests, despite suffering from several delays.

According to the original timeline set by the Ministry of National Defense, the Narwhal's sea trials were supposed to begin in April and be completed by Sept. 30 to meet a November delivery deadline.

Despite the delayed start to the sea trials, Navy Chief of Staff Chiu Chun-jung (邱俊榮) said Tuesday that the contractual deadline for the submarine to be delivered to the Navy in November remained unchanged.