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Former DoD official pours cold water on Taiwan's submarine deal with US
By Gavin Phipps
01 May 2008
Taiwan's long-delayed purchase of eight diesel-electric attack submarines from the United States is unlikely to go ahead, according to a former US Department of Defense official.
The US-based source - an expert on Taiwanese affairs who asked to remain anonymous - told Jane's on 28 April that elements within the US Navy (USN) and Taiwan's own legislature were looking to forestall the USD11.7 billion deal indefinitely.
This comes almost four months after Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence submitted a formal letter of request to the USN's International Programs Office asking for a letter of acceptance to kick-start the project's initial design phase.
The purchase of the submarines has been pending since 2001, when US President George W Bush stated his administration's intention to support the deal. Initial costs were set at between USD2.8 billion and USD5 billion - a figure that has since ballooned to more than USD11.7 billion, making it Asia's largest standing procurement package.
Image: Hai Lung is one of only two submarines that Taiwan has in active service (C Chung)