Taiwan’s defense ministry made a rare admission Friday (April 2) that its submarine nation-building program has received not only technical assistance from the United States but also help from European countries.
Taiwan has been working for years to restructure its submarine force, some of which even dates back to World War II, making it difficult to match the strength of its submarine force with China’s submarine fleet, which has ships capable of firing nuclear weapons.
The U.S. government gave the green light in 2018 for U.S. manufacturers to join Taiwan’s submarine national build program, a move widely seen as helping Taiwan gain access to key spare parts. But it is unclear which U.S. companies are involved in the program.
A statement issued Friday by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense denied a 2019 Taiwan media report that said North Korea helped Taiwan build submarines, citing it as a false message in an article in the U.S. journal The National Interest.
A spokesperson for Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense responded to the National Interest’s report on its Facebook page, saying, “In response to media reports that ‘North Korea transferred submarine technology and related equipment’ to assist Taiwan’s submarine national construction, the Navy Command said the report is false.”
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense clarified on Facebook that “I have never had and will not have any contact with North Korea from the past and present for submarine development, and will be assisted by important countries in Europe and the United States.”
This is a rare admission by Taiwan that its submarine national construction not only received technical help from the United States, but also assistance from European countries. However, no details were mentioned in the statement.
Reuters reported that European countries are usually wary of allowing arms sales to Taiwan for fear of angering China. However, in 2018, Taiwan said it was discussing plans for the national construction of its submarines with a company based in British Gibraltar.
Two of Taiwan’s four active submarines were built in the Netherlands in the 1980s, although the Netherlands subsequently refused to sell more submarines to Taiwan.
France has also sold frigates and fighter jets to Taiwan, according to Reuters. Taiwan said last year that it was seeking to buy equipment from France to upgrade the ships’ missile jamming systems.
Taiwan’s government-backed Taiwan Shipbuilding (CSBS) began building new submarines last year and plans to deliver the first of eight submarines in 2025.
Taiwan’s defense minister said last month that the United States has approved the export of sensitive technology to help Taiwan’s submarine national construction program.
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