TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan’s first indigenous submarine resumed tests Thursday after a hiatus of a month and a half.
As the Narwhal set out from Kaohsiung later than on previous occasions, there was speculation that the submarine would spend the night at sea, UDN reported. Fans of the military positioned near the port said the submarine headed out into the Taiwan Strait at 11:20 a.m., compared to between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. during earlier tests.
The 16th round of sea trials and 10th dive test for the Narwhal took place on June 4, but no target date had been set for the completion of the process.
Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) on Monday denied earlier media reports that the submarine would be ready for commissioning by the Navy in late August or early September, per UDN. Safety and quality were the main principles in judging progress, the minister said, adding that there was no deadline for delivery.
Ships from the Navy and the Coast Guard Administration accompanied the Narwhal on its latest outing Thursday.
As the Central Weather Administration might issue sea warnings if a tropical depression east of the Philippines turns into Tropical Storm Noul during the night, there is still a possibility that the submarine might be called back to port before the end of the night.
