Taiwan on Jan. 29 completed the maiden underwater sea trial of its first domestically developed submarine, marking a major milestone in a long-delayed programme aimed at strengthening deterrence against the Chinese navy and safeguarding vital sea lanes in the event of conflict.
The indigenous submarine effort has become a centrepiece of Taiwan’s broader military modernisation drive as Beijing intensifies pressure on the self-ruled island, staging near-daily air and naval activities to assert its sovereignty claims. China regards Taiwan as its territory, a claim the government in Taipei firmly rejects.
State-owned shipbuilder CSBC Corp, which is leading construction of the fleet, said late on Jan. 29 that the first vessel, named Narwhal, had successfully completed its initial underwater test at sea. The trial involved a “shallow-water submerged navigation test” conducted off the southern port city of Kaohsiung.
“Submarines are a key strategic capability with deterrent power,” CSBC said in a statement, describing the test as a critical step toward eventual delivery of the vessel to Taiwan’s navy.
The Narwhal had originally been scheduled for delivery in 2024, but the programme has faced repeated delays. CSBC acknowledged that diplomatic isolation and external pressure have complicated progress. “Due to constraints in the international environment and pressure from the Chinese communists, Taiwan’s indigenous submarine programme has faced various difficulties and challenges from the beginning to the present,” the company said.
Despite those hurdles, Taipei has pressed ahead, drawing on expertise and technology from several countries, including the United States and Britain—an unusual breakthrough for Taiwan, which lacks formal diplomatic ties with most nations due to Chinese opposition.
The first submarine carries a price tag of NT$49.36 billion (about US$1.5 billion) and will be equipped with a combat system supplied by Lockheed Martin Corp, along with US-made Mark 48 heavyweight torpedoes. Taiwan has said it hopes to deploy at least two domestically built submarines by 2027, with later models potentially fitted with missiles.
Taiwan’s armed forces are vastly outmatched by China’s military, which fields three operational aircraft carriers, ballistic missile submarines and advanced stealth fighter jets. In response, Taipei has focused on developing “asymmetric warfare” capabilities—relying on mobile, survivable systems such as submarines, drones and truck-mounted missiles to counter a much larger adversary.
President Lai Ching-te underscored that strategy in November 2025, announcing plans to spend an additional US$40 billion on defence as Taiwan seeks to bolster its ability to deter aggression and maintain regional stability.
