The defense minister announced on Wednesday ( Apr 17 ) that Taiwan’s homegrown submarine program would continue to operate as planned after the program’s director resigned due to what he perceived as unfair attacks on him and the military.
China, which views Taiwan as its own territory, has made the submarine program a crucial component of an ambitious effort to modernize its armed forces as Beijing conducts about regular military exercises to proclaim its own defense claims, which Taipei rejects.
The first of eight new submarines was unveiled in late September, but it wo n’t be operational until the following year. A discovery for Taiwan, which is socially isolated, has been helped by the programme’s expertise and technology from many nations.
Huang Shu-kuang announced in a statement later on Tuesday that he had left the position of project leader because he and the program had been the target of cruel problems from people he did not identify.
Despite his exit, Huang assured Reuters that the underwater task force, which includes the army and builder CSBC Corp, may continue to operate.
” It’s impossible that the staff will be dismissed due to one man’s withdrawal,” he said.
On Wednesday, Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng stated to reporters that Huang was a” attentive” person, but added that the task force’s people were all on active duty and capable of long hours. It wo n’t change as a result of a single personnel change. “
Huang has recently described the boats as a” strategic disincentive” that can also help preserve the island’s “lifeline” to the Pacific by keeping docks along Taiwan’s northeast coast available.
By 2027, Taiwan plans to deploy at least two of these internally developed submarines, and perhaps equip later models with anti-ship missile launches.