Start building the submarine itself… Is Taiwan's dream of'the heading of the bare ground' come true?

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Mt. Wukong (愚公移山)

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“An old man named Wu Gong, who was 90 years old, lived in China. In front of the old man’s house, there were Taehaengsan and Wangoksan. Two mountains obstructed the village and had to always return to go out.

After digging the mountain with his family, Wukong dumped the soil in the Balhae (渤海). The villagers laughed at them for being foolish. Wukong said, “If I can’t achieve it, my son will succeed, and if I can’t, my grandson will succeed. Someday I will make a way to get rid of all the mountains.”

After hearing this, the mountain spirits of the two mountains appealed to the Cheonje to rescue them. Cheonje moved the two mountains.”
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This is the testimony of Wu Gong Yi Mountain from the Chinese classic 『Yeolja』. It is a content that teaches a lesson that even seemingly impossible tasks can be achieved if you constantly strive.

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Taiwanese Navy submarine Haipao (SS 792). This submarine was built during World War II. [유튜브 AFP 계정 캡처]

– Taiwan’s submarine business reminds me of Wu Gong Yishan. This is because, although China has been hindered by the tactics it has had for more than 10 years, Taiwan has finally started building submarines.

On the 24th of last month, Taiwan’s President Cha Ying-won (President of South Korea) attended the submarine groundbreaking ceremony held at the Taiwan International Shipbuilding Corporation (CSBC) shipyard in Kaohsiung. Taiwan plans to build 8 domestic diesel submarines with a class of 2500 to 3000 tons starting in 2024. In Taiwan, it is known as the Indigenous Defense Submarine (IDS) program in English.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, Taiwanese military commanders were seated, including President Cha Ying-won, Defense Minister Yan Depa (Minister of Defense), and Chief of Staff Hwang Su-gwang (Joint Chief of Staff).

President Cha Ing-won said on the day, “By building a submarine, we will certainly inform the world of our self-defense capabilities.” Said. “Previous governments have faced all kinds of challenges and doubts as they walked this unwalked path. However, challenges and doubts did not defeat us.”

President Cha Ing-won emphasized the fact that Taiwan’s plans to build a domestic submarine have not been easy. Even with a huge investment of time and money, Taiwan was forced to cling to its own submarine construction project. all 5 billion dollars (about 5.4 trillion won)It is an astronomical amount of project that pours out.

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On the 24th of last month, President Cha Ing-wen is speaking at the submarine groundbreaking ceremony held in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. [차잉원 총통 트위터 계정]

– This is the cost of designing and building the first four vessels. That is more than 1 trillion won per submarine. This is because overseas introduction was cut off due to China’s persistent interference. However, Taiwan never gave up a difficult process like’Wugong Yisan’.

World War II submarines are still active

– The electric power difference between China and Taiwan is very large. The same is true for submarines. According to Wikipedia ChinaCurrently has 7 strategic submarines (SSBN), 12 nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSN), and 50 conventional submarines (SS). On the other hand TaiwanThere are only four conventional submarines, including two Hais class and two Hailong class.

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Hailong class submarine of the Taiwan Navy. [대만 해군]

– The Highs-class was taken by Taiwan in 1973 from a Cutlass-class submarine built by the US during World War II. The nickname is’World’s oldest longest-serving submarines’. I am currently using it as a training box.

The Hailong class was imported by Taiwan in 1986 with the Dutch Zvardis class submarine. Taiwan initially tried to buy six ships from the Netherlands, but due to lack of budget, it decided to purchase two first. Four more were planned to be brought in later as soon as the budget was secured.

But the problem was China. China used all its diplomatic means to press the Netherlands. Eventually, the Dutch parliament decided not to export four additional submarines to Taiwan. This was just the beginning. China has engaged in all sorts of interfering operations to prevent Taiwan from importing submarines and other advanced weapons.

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Taiwanese Navy’s high-speed submarine. [대만 해군]

– Professor Moon Geun-sik of the Graduate School of Political Science at Gyeonggi University, who served as the captain of the naval submarine, said, “Just because Taiwan has a conventional submarine does not pose a security threat to China. It is difficult to properly protect landing ships and transport ships. Submarines can bring considerable deterrence to Taiwan.”

I tried to open my hands in America and Europe…

– Taiwan has never built even a single submarine. However, he never forgot the goal of increasing its submarine fleet. However, external conditions were unfavorable to Taiwan.

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Floating dock of Taiwan International Shipbuilding Corporation (CSBC) in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan. Here, a Taiwanese submarine will be built. [위키미디어]

– Taiwan first turned to the United States for help. In the 1990s, the Clinton administration refused to sell submarines in Taiwan. This is because the submarine is an offensive weapon. According to the Taiwan Relations Act, created to appease Taiwan after the U.S. broke up with Taiwan in 1979, the U.S. could sell defensive weapons to Taiwan.

Taiwan tried to import second-hand German-made submarines used in Argentina and Norway, but this also failed.

In 2001, President George W. Bush approved a plan to export eight conventional submarines to Taiwan, but overturned China’s strong opposition. There was a situation within it.

All submarines of the US Navy are propelled by nuclear weapons. To build a conventional submarine powered by diesel, you have to buy blueprints from countries like Germany or the Netherlands. But the two countries were reluctant to give Taiwan their own submarines.

In 2003, Italy offered to refurbish eight of its own Sauro-class submarines and sell them to Taiwan, but this time Taiwan refused.

In 2004, the U.S. Ingeol Shipyard proposed a new diesel submarine to Taiwan. However, there is no follow-up news for this proposal as well. beauty According to the Congressional Investigation Bureau (CRS), the US Navy handed over a bill to Taiwan in 2003 stating that the cost of eight US-made conventional submarines exceeded $10.5 billion (about 1.4 trillion won).

In the end, as soon as possible, Taiwan improved the use of two Hailong class submarines in 2016 to last 15 years.

Did a South-North confrontation over a Taiwanese submarine almost happen?

– In 2014, Taiwan unveiled its plans for submarine national cooperation. However, building a domestic submarine is a’heading of the bare ground’ in Taiwan. Prof. Moon Geun-sik said, “Taiwan understands the basic structure of submarines by reverse engineering the Highs-class and Hai-Lung-classes.” Taiwan lacks these skills,” he said.

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A model of Taiwan’s IDS (Independent Defensive Submarine) presented at the groundbreaking ceremony on the 24th of last month. [로이터=연합뉴스]

– Securing a route to bring in technology from abroad has become a necessity for the submarine national tide plan. However, securing overseas technology ships was a challenge.

The countries that can design conventional submarines in the West are Germany, France, Sweden, and Korea and Japan. The countries where submarines can be built are Spain and Australia. Although not in the West, India has a lot of experience in building submarines. Both of them were struggling with the submarine cooperation with Taiwan.

Turning to the east, except for China, there is Russia. Russia is the second submarine powerhouse after the United States. Nuclear and conventional submarines are still in operation. However, it is hard to sell submarine technology to Taiwan because Russia values relations with China to keep the United States in check.

It was the inter-Korean confrontation that came out unexpectedly in the process of Taiwan’s search for technology adoption lines against the world. Taiwan pressReported in April last year that North Korea had offered to sell submarine technology to Taiwan. That a Korean shipbuilder held a briefing session sidewalkThere was also. However, all of this is likely to be misleading.

Taiwan will not be able to join hands with North Korea as it goes against the US intent to tighten economic sanctions against North Korea. Can Korea, which has been greatly affected by China due to the deployment of the high-altitude missile defense system (THAAD, THAAD), can think about submarine-related cooperation with Taiwan?

In the end, America came out. In April 2018, the U.S. State Department approved a U.S. shipbuilder to sell submarine building technology to Taiwan. This was possible because of the Donald Trump administration.

In May of this year, the US State Department approved a contract to sell 18 MK-48 torpedoes and related equipment to Taiwan. These torpedoes shoot from submarines. In addition, Taiwan has decided to buy the latest submarine combat system from Lockheed Martin, an American defense industry. Taiwan will arm the IDS with MK-48 torpedoes and UGM-84L submarine-launched half-block II missiles. planto be.

At the groundbreaking ceremony on the 24th of last month, William Brent Christensen, Secretary General of the American Association of Taiwan (AIT), an American embassy in Taiwan, appeared. This shows that the United States is behind Taiwan’s anti-ship plan.

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Taiwan Navy’s IDS (Independent Defense Submarine) model. [대만 해군]

– Professor Kim Tae-ho of Hallym University Graduate School of International Studies said, “In particular, as President Donald Trump decided to use a Taiwan card to counter China, Taiwan’s plans for submarine national cooperation began to be resolved.”

Collecting multinational engineers in secret

– The designer of IDS is Gavron Limited in the UK. However, the company, which opened an office in London, UK, is a beverage and tobacco retailer in 2016. Report of business closureI made it. Then, in Gibraltar, British territory in southern Spain, a company of the same name In 2013 It was set up. For this reason, public opinion raised suspicions in Taiwan, and the opposition Nationalist Party demanded a national investigation.

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The aircraft carrier Liaoning of the Navy of the People’s Liberation Army of China is sailing with a frigate. The Chinese carrier will be the first target of the Taiwan Navy’s IDS (Standalone Defensive Submarine). [STRㆍAFP=연합뉴스]

– It is presumed that this company is a fake company. It means that Taiwan has set up a camouflage company, as Taiwan cannot openly scout Western engineers. The company has a number of submarine design experts mainly in Europe. It is possible that the actual owner of the company is the Taiwanese government.

It has been observed that Korea was also involved in Taiwan’s submarine national team plan. According to Taiwanese media, Japanese, Korean, Italian, and German submarine engineers tried to stay at a hotel in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, but were denied accommodation because of a novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19).

A source from the defense industry who knows the relevant circumstances said, “There are no large companies, and some individuals have gone to Taiwan.” “I know that we are consulting on the establishment of auxiliary and related facilities, not the core of design.”

In Taiwan, there are strong voices of opposition to the submarine national team plan. This is because the cost is too high. In addition, the ruling party of Taiwan, the Democratic Party of China, is politically using the submarine national team plan. The Taiwanese government is also putting it up as a symbol of its own preparations for China, which growls against Taiwan.

However, the reason China has so hindered Taiwan’s introduction of submarines is that it is so harsh. The calculation that Taiwan’s IDS will increase Taiwan’s defense is a part of Taiwan’s opposition to the anti-ship plan. That is why Taiwan is stepping toward the construction of a submarine, like Wukong of Wukong Mountain. This is the lesson Taiwan threw us.

Reporter Lee Cheol-jae [email protected]
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World War II submarines are still active

I tried to open my hands in America and Europe…

Did a South-North confrontation over a Taiwanese submarine almost happen?

Collecting multinational engineers in secret

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