Taiwan's first domestically manufactured submarine prepares for final tests

A prototype of Taiwan's first domestically manufactured submarine is set to undergo final tests in September, Cheng Wen-lon, chairman of local shipbuilder CSBC Corp., Taiwan, told CNA in a recent interview, Report informs.

"We have been able to build 85 components locally so far," Cheng said, after a source familiar with the program revealed in January that more than 40 percent of the submarine's main body is being manufactured in Taiwan.

This includes airtight doors, the water conversion system, the hydraulic system, and the silent air conditioning system, the source said.

Although it has previously been reported that Taiwan is planning to allocate a $9.7 billion budget to build an 8-submarine fleet under the Indigenous Defense Submarine program, this has not been publicly confirmed by the military, with the MND saying such a plan requires further evaluation.