Taiwan wants to build its own submarine fleet to defend against China. Domestically, the issue is becoming a contentious issue in light of the upcoming election.
Taipei – The Taiwanese submarine program “Project Narwhal” is causing a sensation in the presidential election campaign. Taiwan wants to produce a total of eight diesel-powered submarines of its own, the prototype of which has already been completed and christened by President Tsai Ing-wen last September. The cost of the first copy of the “Narwhal Program” totaled 1.6 billion euros.
The geopolitical background of “Project Narwhal”: The tensions between China and Taiwan
The construction of the small fleet for the island state has become necessary against the background of growing tensions with China and increasing concerns about a military invasion. Previously, China had also increased pressure on Western states to stop supplying submarines to Taiwan. The country still has a few remaining imported submarines, such as those from the Netherlands. Taiwan wants to become more militarily and financially independent of its supporters through “Project Narwhal”.
In addition, the scenario of a possible Chinese invasion is not based on ground troops. In Taiwan, people are more likely to expect a complete naval blockade of the island plus heavy rocket fire. Deep-diving boats could be useful in order to get around the blockade.
Domestic political differences in Taiwan: The continuation of “Project Narwhal” remains uncertain
The continuation of “Project Narwal” and the increasingly tense election campaign are coming together in a particularly unfortunate way right now: the next round of financing for the project is coming up and the positions of the two Taiwanese parties with regard to the program are far apart. The opposition National Party (KMT), known for its proximity to China, is bothered by the costs and believes they are too high.
Alexander Huang, director of the National Party's international department, said: “The KMT is not against underwater capabilities.” According to Huang, however, there are concerns about where the individual parts of the submarine fleet will be delivered from and whether production will be secured even if the delivered goods fail and thus the costs will be covered. A group of activists from the DPP, on the other hand, say simply: “Submarines protect the country.”
DPP supporter in Taiwan: “Submarines protect the country”
In the early 2000s, the DPP was still fighting for the import of American submarines, which was then blocked by the KMT. The DPP has refrained from doing so due to a lack of political enforceability, plus the fact that the USA no longer produces diesel-powered submarines. The continuation of Taiwan's own submarine program remains dependent on the outcome of the election and the resulting majority.
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