Taiwan bolsters naval defense with US-backed domestic submarine program

Taiwan has completed the inaugural underwater trials for its first domestically produced submarine, a milestone for a program that has leveraged technical expertise and technology from several nations, including the US and the UK.

CSBC Corporation, Taiwan’s state-backed shipbuilder, announced late Thursday that the vessel, named the Narwhal, successfully finished its first submerged sea trial. The company specified that the “shallow water dive test” took place off the coast of Kaohsiung, a major port city in southern Taiwan. “Submarines are critical strategic assets that provide a vital deterrent capability,” the company stated in its announcement.

The Narwhal was originally scheduled for delivery to the navy in 2024 to join two existing submarines purchased from the Netherlands in the 1980s; however, the program has been hampered by delays. CSBC noted that “Taiwan’s domestic submarine program has faced various challenges since its inception due to international constraints and pressure from the Chinese communists.” Taipei has expressed its ambition to have at least two domestically produced submarines in service by 2027, with plans to potentially equip subsequent models with missiles.

The lead submarine carries a price tag of T$49.36 billion ($1.58 billion) and features a combat system developed by Lockheed Martin. It is also designed to deploy US-made Mark 48 heavy torpedoes.

While Taiwan is viewed as part of China by the United Nations and many sovereign states, the US continues to provide the island with military equipment and support, a stance that frequently draws condemnation from Beijing.

Supported by the US, Taiwan is modernizing its military capabilities to focus on “asymmetric warfare.” This strategy emphasizes the use of mobile and agile systems—such as submarines, drones, and truck-mounted missiles—to counter a much larger conventional force. In November 2025, Taiwanese leader Lai Ching-te announced that his government would allocate an additional $40 billion to defense spending, a move that triggered a sharp backlash from the opposition. The primary opposition party, the Kuomintang, has characterized the administration’s increased military expenditure as a provocative act toward China that unnecessarily endangers the island.