February 10, 200620 yr Excerpt from Jane's Defence Weekly Taiwan claims US Navy is sabotaging SSK plans By Wendell Minnick JDW Correspondents Taipei Taiwan (Republic of China) has accused the US Navy of intentionally sabotaging the sale of eight diesel-electric submarines that the Bush administration promised it in April 2001. A US source close to the programme has confirmed Taiwanese claims and argues that the US Navy feared a revival of a domestic diesel-electric submarine programme that would challenge its traditional use of nuclear-powered submarines. "The bottom line is that the initiation of a Taiwan submarine programme has tremendous implications for the US Navy - once it gets going, they will not be able to resist the already existing pressure to integrate diesels with AIP [air-independent propulsion] into the navy inventory for littoral warfare. So they have been artful in making it seem like they have supported the president's policy; yet purposely making it such a bitter pill to swallow - what I call 'death by bureaucracy'," stated the source.
February 10, 200620 yr I'm sure the French would love to sell them some Scorpenes. Might get a good price too now that the design has had some decent export success.
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