Taiwan's Project Diving Dragon Resurfaces

From the recent copy of Undersea Wafare:

Taiwan's Project Diving Dragon Resurfaces

TAIPEI - Recurring reports that countries other than the United States are helping Taiwan build diesel-electric submarines domestically go back a decade. According to various articles, it's either the Western Europeans, Russians or Indians who are clandestinely concocting a submarine plan with the Taiwanese.

While the notion that any country able to build subs would choose to so profoundly snub China appears unlikely, the question arises as to why these rumors persist.

An island and its mythical being

Then-United States president George W Bush in 2001 approved the sale of eight conventional submarines to Taiwan, but the deal has been in limbo ever since. While the US ceased building diesel-electric subs decades ago, the Western European countries that do still produce them - and are seen as having the

best technology for diesel-electric sub construction - likely fear reprisals from Beijing for supplying Taipei with the technology.

In the 2000s, with pro-independence Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian in power and the Taiwan Strait constantly on the brink of war, a solution that ostensibly suggested itself was that the Taiwanese build their own subs.

While there have yet to be credible signs that "Project Diving Dragon" was ever alive and kicking, or any alternate Taiwanese plan for submarines, rumors of its existence refuse to die. Intriguingly, such rumors have surfaced at even shorter intervals under Chen's successor, Ma Ying-jeou, who says he doesn't want an arms race with the military power across the Taiwan Strait.

As the situation with China continues to simmer, the will be an interesting issue to keep track of. Likely, with more updates to follow.

FWFS,

Greg Emerson, DM1(SW), USN-Retired

Renton, WA, USA