Taiwan targets 2028 delivery for new US-built torpedoes

Taipei Times reports that the Taiwanese Government expects to take delivery of new stocks of Mark 48 torpedoes and associated equipment from the United States over the next three years, thus fulfilling a foreign military sale originally approved by Washington in 2017.

According to the government's latest Ministry of National Defence (MND) budget proposal, the Republic of China Navy (ROCN) expects that 24 torpedoes as well as training simulators will be delivered by 2028.

The US has reportedly extended the delivery timeline to 2030, as manufacture of new Mark 48 torpedoes needs to be restarted after having earlier ceased in 1996.

The MND budget proposal nonetheless states that the government will work towards ensuring that the allotted stocks will be handed over by 2028.

The ROCN expects to field new examples of the Mark 48 to replace the ageing AEG SUT 264 weapons that were acquired along with two Hai Lung-class diesel-electric submarines as part of a package during the late 1980s. Both submarines are still in Taiwanese service.