Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense has showcased a model of a new submarine for the Republic of China Navy (RoCN). The Indigenous Defense Submarine was unveiled during the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition (TADTE 2017).

The IDS is the first priority of indigenous naval shipbuilding for the Republic of China Navy. It will integrate the resources from industry, government, and academia to develop domestic submarine design and construction capabilities, improve craftsmanship, pro¬mote quality of domestic equipment, and build up critical technologies. The contract design is conducted from 2016 to 2020. The follow works will be started when the design is finished.

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) on 21 March signed an agreement with the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST) and naval shipbuilder CSBC Corporation, Taiwan, for the design and construction of an indigenous submarine fleet.

The contract was signed at Zuoying Naval Base in Kaohsiung during an event attended by Taiwanese defence minister Feng Shih-kuan and president Tsai Ing-wen.