DEFENSE / Submarine flaws minor, do not affect testing: Contractor

Taipei, March 21 (CNA) CSBC Corp., Taiwan, the main contractor for Taiwan's first domestically built submarine, has pledged to promptly address issues in the ship's interior highlighted by an opposition lawmaker Friday, but it did not expect ongoing tests to be affected.

In a statement later Friday, CSBC categorized the issues raised by Kuomintang Legislator Ma Wen-chun (馬文君) as "cosmetic issues" and said they could be immediately rectified.

Ma raised questions on social media about the submarine, christened the Narwhal ("Hai Kun" in Chinese), citing photos and footage of President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) visit onboard the docked vessel on Thursday released by the Presidential Office.

Among the issues Ma pointed out were three missing rivets in a visibly uneven steel panel behind a meeting table and water stains on an exhaust duct casing.

Ma questioned whether the water stains had resulted from a leak.

She also cited a video showing that a bunk bed curtain appeared stuck when the president tried to open it but said that was likely a minor issue.

In its statement, CSBC said the flaws stemmed from "incomplete restoration following work done," likely meaning that the areas affected had work done but were not restored to their previous condition.

Any repairs would not affect ongoing tests of the submarine, the shipbuilder said.

The company said it is contractually obligated to ensure the ship's appearance and finish prior to delivery, and will recheck and correct any issues related to the vessel's overall exterior and interior before delivery, after which the Navy will conduct a final inspection.

CSBC said the Narwhal has so far successfully completed six shallow-water submersion tests, and that further sea trials were proceeding step by step under the principles of safety and quality assurance.

Any indication of flaws in the submarine raises concerns given the delays the prototype vessel has faced.

Former Indigenous Submarine Program convener Huang Shu-kuang (黃曙光) originally said in September 2023, when the submarine prototype was unveiled at a photo op, that the submarine could be delivered to the Navy before the end of 2024, but that did not happen.

A November 2025 contractual deadline was also unmet, amid reports of technical issues, including components and parts failing due to voltage surges from an onshore power supply to which the ship was connected during testing in February.

CSBC said in February that it was working to deliver the submarine in June, but Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) on Friday said the Ministry of National Defense will no longer set a timeline and will instead focus on ensuring that safety requirements are met.