The military has begun discussions with a foreign country over the sale of torpedo decoys for Taiwan’s ongoing indigenous submarine project, a military source told CNA Monday.
Without identifying the country, the source, speaking under the condition of anonymity, said both sides were now in talks over the configurations of the decoy in question and possible date of delivery.
The source said no further details concerning the possible deal would be disclosed for the time being in case a deal for the decoys is not reached.
Local media reported last week that Taiwan was having trouble purchasing torpedo decoys from Turkey for the domestic submarine program due to pressure from Beijing.
Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng (???) also admitted on Dec. 22 there was “a little bit of an obstacle” but that the military was addressing the issue.
According to the military source, the indigenous submarine project has formulated a number of backup plans for securing weapon systems and key components from overseas.
The source added that none of the countries that Taiwan had talked to during the early stages of the project had agreed to sell Taiwan torpedo decoys, which was why the military had not listed acquiring such systems as a priority.
According to the source, it would be acceptable if Taiwan did not get its hands on the decoys, noting that Taiwan’s current submarines do not have the feature.
Torpedo decoys are designed to be released from submarines to act as false targets.
Taiwan’s government has allocated NT$49 billion (US$1.77 billion) over seven years to design and build an indigenous submarine, with the goal of boosting Taiwan’s defense capabilities amid the growing threat from China’s military.
A prototype of the domestically produced submarine is scheduled to be completed in 2024 and delivered to the Navy in 2025.
In November, Taiwan’s Navy held a keel-laying ceremony for the submarine prototype to signal the completion of the vessel’s first construction phase a year after work began.
Taiwan currently has four aging submarines in its fleet, two of which are World War II-era vessels purchased from the United States in the 1970s. The two remaining submarines were acquired from the Netherlands in the 1980s.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel
