PHOTO ESSAY/Taiwan's indigenous defense submarine begins sixth sea trial

Kaohsiung, Jan. 26 (CNA) Taiwan's first indigenous submarine, the Narwhal, also known as Hai Kun (海鯤) in Chinese, began its sixth sea trial on Monday, drawing many military enthusiasts to Kaohsiung Harbor.

Fans were spotted waving the Republic of China (Taiwan) flag and holding banners to show support for the submarine project.

The submarine sailed out to sea from CSBC Corp., Taiwan's shipyard, for its sixth sea trial, or sea acceptance test (SAT).

The SAT is a formal series of trials conducted at sea to evaluate whether a newly built or significantly upgraded ship meets its contractual performance specifications before it is delivered to the customer.

CSBC, the main contractor for the prototype of the Narwhal, completed the fifth SAT for the submarine on Nov. 28 last year.

Speaking with CNA, the shipbuilder said it was unable to provide details on how the SAT went on Monday, adding that it is also unable to specify when it will deliver the Narwhal.

The company has been accruing fines since November 2025, after missing the contractual delivery deadline for Taiwan's first domestically built defense submarine.