The United States has agreed in principle to sell Taiwan eight diesel-electric submarines — one of Taipei’s highest weapons priorities — as well as the arms and training packages that go along with them.
Taiwan’s United Daily News said yesterday that the deal has been agreed to in principle and would help boost the island’s naval strength. The total cost of the deal comes to a figure between $3 billion and $4 billion, the report said.
 Israeli navy Dolphin-class submarine, which is based on the German Type 209 design. |
General Dynamics and Litton Group’s Ingalls Shipbuilding firms, both U.S. companies, will build the submarines, the report said. The subs are based on German and Dutch models. The deal includes eight German Type 209 and Dutch Moray 1400/1800 submarines, though the report did not say how many of each model would be sold to Taiwan.
Taiwan’s naval commander, Adm. Li Chieh, returned to the island earlier this week after holding meetings with “high-ranking Pentagon officials” about Taiwan’s overall arms sales package, the report said.
Meanwhile, separate reports have suggested that the Bush administration’s senior national security advisers have recommended that the president not agree to sell Taiwan sophisticated Aegis-equipped destroyers when Taiwanese and U.S. delegations meet to discuss the island’s complete arms list in Washington, D.C., April 24.
 Dutch Walrus-class subs, which resemble Moray-class boats. |
The Aegis destroyers are foremost on Taiwan’s list of requested arms, but U.S. officials say the Bush administration may agree to sell Taipei 1980s-era Kidd-class destroyers instead.
Recent congressional studies have shown that Taiwan is in dire need of upgraded weapons and is especially vulnerable in terms of naval weaponry and warships.
Taiwan has built some of its own destroyers, but much of its fleet is based on U.S.-supplied Knox-class frigates and French-made Lafayette-class frigates.
Ingalls is a subsidiary of Northrup Grumman, the largest U.S. defense contractor.
A spokesman at Ingalls confirmed to WND that the company “is in negotiations” to build submarines for Taiwan, but offered no further details.
“The deal hasn’t been made yet, no,” the spokesman, who did not identify himself, said.
He added that Ingalls “hasn’t built submarines since the 1970s,” when it built nine nuclear-powered submarines for the U.S. Navy.
The White House press office referred WND for confirmation of the report to the National Security Council, but officials there did not return calls.
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WND Staff