Taiwan to Build First Homegrown Submarine

President Tsai Ing-wen announced on March 21 that Taiwan would build its own submarine fleet.

Tsai announced the project, which was expected to deliver its first submarine in eight years, on the Panshi Fast Combat Support Ship during a visit to Zuoying naval base in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan.

Taiwan’s move to bolster its naval defences follows Beijing’s decision to sail its aircraft carrier through the Taiwan Strait in January and political tensions following the election of President Tsai, whose party has campaigned for independence for the self-ruling island. Reuters reported that Taiwan’s current submarine fleet consists of two World War Two vessels used for training and two Dutch boats acquired in the 1980s. Credit: presidentialoffice via Storyful