Taiwan has unveiled its first domestically developed submarine. The vessel was officially named “Narwhal” in English and “Hai Kun” in Mandarin after a mythical massive fish that can also fly. The accomplishment has been hailed as a significant milestone as Taipei works to boost its military deterrence in the face of a growing threat from China. Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen today presided over the launch ceremony in the port city of Kaohsiung. She said that history will forever remember this day and that the submarine is an important realization of their concrete commitment in defending the country. 

She added that they have achieved the task of building an indigenous submarine which was previously considered impossible. She said that the indigenous submarine project was a top priority of her administration. Narwhal is expected to enter service in 2025, joining two existing submarines purchased from the Netherlands in the 1980s. According to reports, the island nation hopes to deploy at least two such domestically developed submarines by 2027, and eventually operate a fleet of 10 submarines.

Taiwan has made the indigenous submarine program a key part of an ambitious project to modernise its armed forces. The head of the domestic submarine programme Admiral Huang Shu-kuang last week told that the goal was to fend off any attempt from China to encircle Taiwan for an invasion or impose a naval blockade. China claims the island democracy as its own territory and has staged almost daily military exercises to assert its sovereignty.