Reuters-Taiwan reveals first homegrown submarine in defence milestone
September 28, 2023 3 min 492 words
台湾首次揭示了国内研发的潜艇，这标志着该岛国防卫领域的重要里程碑。这一举措旨在加强台湾的国防，作为应对中国海军的威慑措施，尽管这艘潜艇要再过两年才能投入使用。 中国声称台湾为其领土，台湾将本土潜艇项目视为一项雄心勃勃的计划的关键部分，旨在现代化其武装力量，因为北京几乎每天都进行军事演习以主张其主权。 总统蔡英文于2016年上任时发起了这一计划，并在2023年9月28日在南部城市高雄展示了八艘新潜艇中的第一艘。“过去，国内研发的潜艇被认为是一项不可能完成的任务。但是今天，一艘由我国民众设计和制造的潜艇摆在我们面前，”蔡英文表示，还表示这将在增强海军的“非对称战争”能力方面发挥重要作用。“即使存在风险，无论面临多少挑战，台湾都必须迈出这一步，允许自主国防政策在我们的土地上生根发芽，”蔡英文站在潜艇前面说道，该潜艇命名为“独角兽”。台湾的红旗，展示着白色太阳在蓝天下，缠绕在潜艇的艏部。 蔡英文表示，“独角兽”将于2025年投入使用，加入20世纪80年代从荷兰购买的两艘现有潜艇。这个国产潜艇项目从多个国家获取了专业知识和技术，对于外交上孤立的台湾来说是一项突破。 台湾外交部长吴钊燮在台北告诉记者，面对中国军队在岛屿周边进行的频繁军事活动，尤其是“灰色地带”压力战术的威胁增加，台湾必须加强自卫。“拥有新潜艇是其中的一项战略。对于那些质疑台湾潜艇战略的人，我将是最坚决的倡导者，因为这是阻止战争爆发所需的，”吴钊燮说。 台湾希望到2027年至少部署两艘国产潜艇，可能在后续型号上装备导弹，该项目负责人本月表示。 第一艘潜艇的造价为493.6亿新台币（约合15.3亿美元），将使用洛克希德·马丁公司的战斗系统，并携带美国制造的马克48型重型鱼雷。它将于下个月进行海试，然后在2024年底交付海军。 蔡英文的安全顾问、该项目领导者黄书光将这些潜艇描述为“战略威慑力量”，可以帮助维护台湾对太平洋的“生命线”，确保台湾东海岸的港口保持畅通。 这一举措对于台湾的国防来说是一个重要的里程碑，也是应对地区安全挑战的回应。在台湾国内，这将被视为自主国防的象征，同时也会引发中国的关切和反应。台湾必须谨慎应对潜在的地缘政治影响，并继续加强与盟友的合作，以确保地区稳定和和平。
Taiwan unveiled its first domestically developed submarine on Thursday, a major step in a years-long project aimed at strengthening the island's defence and deterrence against the Chinese navy.
Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has made the indigenous submarine program a key part of an ambitious project to modernise its armed forces as Beijing stages almost daily military exercises to assert its sovereignty.
President Tsai Ing-wen, who initiated the plan when she took office in 2016, showed off the first of eight new submarines on Thursday in the southern city of Kaohsiung.
"In the past, a domestically developed submarine was considered an impossible task. But, today, a submarine designed and manufactured by our country's people sits before our eyes," Tsai said, adding that it would play an important role in strengthening the navy's "asymmetric warfare" capabilities.
"Even if there are risks, and no matter how many challenges there are, Taiwan must take this step and allow the self-reliant national defence policy to grow and flourish on our land," Tsai said, standing in front of the ship, named the Narwhal. Taiwan's red flag, featuring a white sun against a blue sky, was wrapped around the submarine's bow.
The programme has drawn on expertise and technology from several countries - a breakthrough for diplomatically isolated Taiwan.
Taiwan hopes to deploy at least two such domestically developed submarines by 2027, and possibly equip later models with missiles, the head of the program said this month.
The first submarine, with a price tag of T$49.36 billion ($1.53 billion), will use a combat system by Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) and carry U.S.-made Mark 48 heavyweight torpedoes. It will enter sea trials next month before delivery to the navy by the end of 2024.
Admiral Huang Shu-kuang, Tsai's security adviser leading the program, has described the submarines as a "strategic deterrent" that can also help maintain the island's "lifeline" to the Pacific by keeping ports along Taiwan's eastern coast open.