Taiwan Set to Test 1st Indigenous Defense Submarine Amid China Tensions

A Taiwanese admiral said the new submarine is expected to be delivered to Taiwan’s navy by next year.

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen attends a ceremony about the production of domestic-made submarines at a CSBC shipyard in Kaohsiung on November 24, 2020. (Photo by Sam Yeh / AFP) Photo by SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images

Taiwan will begin testing its first indigenous defense submarine (IDS) next week, designed to serve as a deterrent against China’s possible blockade of the self-ruling island, a defense official said Tuesday.

Adm. Huang Shu-kuang, convener of the IDS program, said that Taiwan will test its first domestically built submarine on Sept. 28, with harbor acceptance tests scheduled to begin on Oct. 1.