President Tsai Ing-wen has vowed to boost the island’s defence capabilities after Beijing stepped up miltiary exercises toward Taiwan this year. The new fleet of eight submarines will be ready by 2025. The island has never produced its own submarines before. The first of the eight new vessels will be delivered by 2025. The whole project is estimated to cost at least $16 billion (€13.5 billion).
Taiwan warned China on Tuesday that it will do whatever it takes to defend its sovereignty as the island launched production of a new fleet of submarines. It comes at a time of rising tensions with Beijing.
“This submarine is an important part of allowing our navy to develop asymmetric warfare and to intimidate and block enemy ships from surrounding Taiwan’s main island,” said President Tsai Ing-wen at the inauguration ceremony in the southern city of Kaohsiung.