Undated Photo of Taiwanese troops using U.S. equipment.
Taiwan, faced with a more aggressive China, is talking a good game of ramping up the island’s security with its own submarines, buying sophisticated fighter aircraft and exploring asymmetric defenses, but President Tsai Ing-wen’s administration has not made the hard choices to raise a defense budget that already is being consumed by higher personnel costs, an expert panel agreed on Wednesday. Read More
The president of Taiwan announced the start of a domestic submarine program in a Tuesday ceremony, according to local press reports. Read More
Undated photo of lead Vietnamese Navy Kilo attack submarine HQ-182 Hanoi. via Open Source IMINT
The third Project-636 Kilo-class has arrived in Vietnam, marking the halfway point in the Vietnamese Navy’s planned six boat, $1.8 to 2 billion deal with Russia, according to local press reports. Read More
A 1980s vintage Hai-lang submarine, built in the Netherlands and operated by the Republic of China Navy. ROC Photo
After waiting on the U.S. to make good on plans to develop a diesel electric attack submarine (SSK) for almost 15 years, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence announced it was kicking off its own domestic attack submarine construction program this week, the agency told Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan. Read More
People’s Liberation Army Navy Type-92 submarine. PLAN Photo
China is constantly improving underwater operations and investments in platforms, sensors, and even oceanographic research, said Thomas Mahnken of Johns Hopkins School of Advance and International Studies during a Monday panel at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C. Read More
Undated photo of Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force submarine Soryu (SS-501)
Australia is on track to select the Japanese Soryu-class submarines to replace its aging Collins-class submarines in a potential $20 billion deal for 10 to 12 boats, according to a Monday report by the Australian news service, news.com.au. Read More
An undated photo of a German-built Type 212 diesel attack submarine.
Singapore has inked a deal with German submarine builder ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems for two new Type 218SGs— a previously unknown type of attack submarine. Read More
Kilo class submarine Yunes
Vietnam has taken delivery of the first of a planned six Project-636 Kilo-class submarines from Russia, according to several local press reports. Read More
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung inspected Kilo 636 submarine named Hanoi of Vietnam Navy during a visit to Russia in May 2013. Vietnam News Agency Photo
Russia will deliver the first of six improved Project-636 Kilo-class submarines to the Vietnamese Navy in November, according to a press release issued by the shipbuilder.
“We are expecting the signing of the acceptance act and the sub’s sailing to Vietnam in November,” according to a Monday release from Admiralteiskie Verfi shipyard in St. Petersburg. Read More
