Taipei: Defense Minister Wellington Koo on Monday refuted claims that testing Taiwan’s submarine prototype without its anchor placed the crew in danger or was influenced by pressures to meet a delayed delivery deadline. Koo explained during a legislative session that the Narwhal, or Hai Kun, did not necessitate an anchor system for the successful floating navigation tests conducted last Thursday and Friday.

According to Focus Taiwan, Koo emphasized that ensuring the safety of sea trials has consistently been the top priority. Navy Chief of Staff Chiu Chun-jung corroborated this, noting that the absence of the anchor during recent trials was due to the need for component replacements. Chiu assured that the anchor would be reinstalled by mid-December, ahead of upcoming sea trials.

The Navy has imposed daily fines of NT$190,000 (US$6,043) on the Kaohsiung-based shipbuilder CSBC Corp. for not meeting the original November delivery deadline for the Narwhal prototype, Koo added.

CSBC, in a statement issued on Friday, reiterated that crew safety remains paramount. The company stated that every test is thoroughly reviewed by project staff and foreign consultants and is only conducted after fulfilling safety requirements, with escort vessels accompanying the trials. The submarine is set to undergo shallow-depth tests to verify basic systems, followed by deeper trials to assess performance under increasing pressure and to confirm combat readiness.

Initially, the Narwhal’s sea trials were scheduled to commence in April and conclude by September 30.