Through local media, it has recently been reported that the first locally-made submarine of the Taiwanese Navy, Hai Kun (SS-711), is close to beginning sea trials after a delay in the shipment of optronic masts from the United States. The delay was announced earlier in May, where it was explained that the American company L3 Harris had delayed the shipment of these components, which were originally scheduled to be delivered in January of the current year.
The ROCS Hai Kun SS-711 is the first of the new locally-made attack submarines for the Taiwanese Navy under the Indigenous Defense Submarine (IDS) Program. It was launched in February 2024 in a ceremony attended by the then-president of the island, Tsai Ing-wen. Following this step, the next milestone was navigation and system tests in port, scheduled for April, which did not occur. Finally, on May 17th, a military source confirmed that a set of optronic masts for the submarine from the U.S. company had arrived in Taiwan. The second set is expected to arrive within a week.
An optronic mast is an advanced sensor used on submarines, offering improved electronic stabilization and providing high-quality images, which enhances crew safety by providing clearer images and allowing for quicker detection of enemy movements.
Additionally, it was stated that the Navy would begin sea acceptance trials of the submarine by the end of May, once the newly arrived systems and batteries are installed and tested. It is worth noting that the indigenous attack submarine project began in 2018, after the President of the United States approved the transfer of technology to Taiwan to start development. Since then, the construction has received support from various foreign companies, beyond L3 Harris, such as Lockheed Martin, which provided combat systems. Other companies like RTX have been involved in submarine warfare tools such as the Spherical Sonar System and other unspecified sonars.
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