Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) and the Republic of China Navy (ROCN) have refuted recently published local news reports about issues that could further delay the delivery of the country's first locally manufactured submarine.
The MND and the ROCN released separate statements that the sea acceptance tests (SAT) of the diesel-electric submarine ROCS Hai Kun will proceed in April of this year and last until October, as previously announced.
The submarine is presently undergoing harbour acceptance tests (HAT), a prerequisite for the commencement of the SAT.
A report published by local media outlet Up Media in late February 2025 revealed that many of the submarine's parts suffered failure as a result of unexpected voltage fluctuations affecting a land-based external power supply that was temporarily being used to generate electricity for the boat's key systems.
The external power supply is being used in place of lead-acid batteries, which may only be installed on the submarine upon the successful completion of the HAT.
The report added that these failures that occurred during the HAT have resulted in a shortage of parts, thus increasing the likelihood of further delaying the completion of tests and, in turn, the start of the SAT.
The ROCN assured that replacing parts that suffered failure during testing was normal for a prototype vessel. However, the service did not provide details on whether the failures resulted in shortages that could impact the overall program.
If the HAT and the SAT both proceed as scheduled, the future Hai Kun will be delivered this November.