TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The indigenous submarine program is running more than two months behind schedule, the Navy admitted Wednesday.

Shipbuilder CSBC Corporation Taiwan should have handed the Narwhal to the Navy in November, after the completion of three phases of sea acceptance tests. However, the second and third phases, shallow diving and deep diving, have still not started.

Navy Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Chiu Chun-jung (邱俊榮) confirmed at a Ministry of National Defense news conference Wednesday that the submarine had returned to dock to make adjustments before taking on the phase of shallow diving, per CNA. The tests will only start if the safety of the crew is guaranteed, he said.

According to the contract between the Navy and CSBC, each day the commissioning by the Navy is delayed, the shipbuilder needs to pay a fine of NT$190,000 (US$6,000). Once the submarine is ready for delivery, the Navy will calculate the number of days of delay, with the total amount of fines to be deducted from the sum still to be paid to CSBC, Chiu said.