Taiwan, which is developing its own fleet of submarines to protect the island nation, could use American naval expertise to help make the vessels a reality, according to two Asia experts.
Taiwan launched its Indigenous Defense Submarine (IDS) program in 2014 after it was unable to reach a deal to buy eight new diesel-powered submarines from the United States. But to complete work on the 1,500- to 2,500-ton vessels, Taiwan’s navy would benefit greatly from program management assistance and technical support from the United States, said Richard Fisher, senior fellow for Asian military affairs at the International Assessment and Strategy Center, and Ian Easton, research fellow at the Project 2049 Institute.
“Taiwan has never before designed and built such a large submarine, and simply devising the program for such an undertaking is a very complex task in organization,” Fisher said. “The U.S. has extensive experience in managing complex weapons programs. In addition, the U.S. could provide critical submarine technologies like combat control systems, sonar and submarine weapons.”
Such help should be included in the next arms sales package for Taiwan, said Fisher and Easton, both of whom spoke Aug. 9 at the Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C. Other potential items in the package include M1 Abrams tanks, F-16 fighters, MH-60R Seahawk submarine-hunting helicopters, and electronic warfare systems.
“These would be some of the low-hanging fruit, in my opinion,” Easton said. “The question is, is the political will there? That’s a big question” due to perennial U.S. government concerns about upsetting China.
The new submarines, which are intended to replace two World War II-era Guppy-class submarines and two 1970s-vintage Dutch-built submarines, would improve Taiwan’s ability to defend against a Chinese invasion or blockade and counter China’s burgeoning submarine fleet, Fisher said. Help for the IDS program would also send an important signal that Washington is committed to Taiwan’s self-defense, according to Fisher and Easton.
The most recent arms sale to Taiwan, a $1.8 billion package authorized by the Obama administration in December, included such equipment as Phalanx naval air defense guns; amphibious assault vehicles; Javelin and TOW anti-tank missiles; Stinger air defense missiles; two modernized Perry-class frigates; and data-link terminals for Kidd-class destroyers. It is unclear whether the next sale will occur in the final months of President Obama’s tenure or fall to the next administration.