The ''Chien Lung'' class of
submarine
A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
, also known as the ''Hai Lung'' (Sea Dragon) class, was manufactured in the
Netherlands
)
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for the
Republic of China
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...
(Taiwan) and is currently in service with
its navy. They are a modified version of the
Dutch Navy
The Royal Netherlands Navy ( nl, Koninklijke Marine, links=no) is the naval force of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
During the 17th century, the navy of the Dutch Republic (1581–1795) was one of the most powerful naval forces in the world an ...
's which itself is based on the US .
A new class of submarines being built by Taiwan's
Indigenous Defense Submarine
The Indigenous Defense Submarine (IDS) Program is a Taiwanese project to develop and construct a class of attack submarines domestically for the Republic of China Navy.
History
With its two effective submarines being of Dutch design manufactured ...
program, will eventually replace them.
History
The Republic of China (
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
) ordered two submarines, each based on the Dutch
''Zwaardvis'' design, in September 1981.
The keels for both submarines were laid down by dock and yard company Wilton Fijenoord b.v Schiedam in December 1982, though initial construction of the submarines was delayed due to the builder's financial instability, work resumed in 1983. Both submarines were launched in 1986, ''Hai Lung'' on October 6 and ''Hai Hu'' on December 10.
Sea trial
A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft (including boats, ships, and submarines). It is also referred to as a " shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and ...
s for ''Hai Lung'' began in March 1987 and ''Hai Hu'' began its sea trials in January 1988. Both ships were transported to Taiwan on board a heavy dock vessel. ''Hai Hu'' was
commissioned for service on October 9, 1987 and ''Hai Lung'' followed on April 9, 1988.
The deal for the submarines also included power station components and gas liquifaction plants.
More boats in this class were planned, and in October 1983 the Dutch government held talks with Taiwan in which the ordering of two extra submarines was discussed.
The order worth
ƒ800 million was to be paid for 50% by investments of Taiwan in the
Netherlands
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, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
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, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
in the form of civil orders. However, the deal fell through after mainland
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
pressured the Dutch government. An order for four more submarines was also turned down by the Netherlands government in 1992 after China downgraded diplomatic ties with the Dutch.
Design
The ''Hai Lung''-class submarines are based on an improved
''Zwaardvis''-class design. This means that they also make use of the
US Navy's teardrop hull
A teardrop hull is a submarine hull design which emphasizes submerged performance over surfaced performance. It was somewhat commonly used in the early stages of submarine development, but was gradually abandoned in the early 20th century in fav ...
design, which was used by the of conventional submarines. The design was modified to include the placement of noise-producing machinery on a false deck with spring suspension for silent running.
As built the class featured an
Elbit TIMNEX 4CH(V2)
electronic support measures
In military telecommunications, electronic support (ES) or electronic support measures (ESM) gather intelligence through passive "listening" to electromagnetic radiations of military interest. They are an aspect of electronic warfare involving ac ...
(ESM) system.
Tasks
The ''Hai Lung''-class submarines are aimed at providing Taiwan the capability to deter Chinese naval blockades and to ensure that its sea lanes remain open, thus protecting the trade on which the island depends. In addition, both submarines could be used to block Chinese ports but are unlikely to be capable of countering China's submarine fleet.
Planned upgrade
In 2005, it was reported that the ''Chien Lung''-class submarines would be upgraded to be capable of launching the
UGM-84 Harpoon
The Harpoon is an all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile
manufactured by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing Defense, Space & Security). The AGM-84E Standoff Land Attack Missile (SLAM) and later AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER (Standoff Land Attack Mi ...
anti-ship missile.
US DoD
The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secur ...
notified the
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
of the sale to Taiwan of 32 UGM-84 Harpoon Block II missiles, along with two weapon control systems, other associated equipment and services, in 2008. The delivery of the Harpoon anti-ship missiles started in 2013 and was completed in 2016. The upgrade allows the ''Hai Lung''-class submarines to be able to attack targets from the sea, such as the
Port of Shanghai
The Port of Shanghai (), located in the vicinity of Shanghai, comprises a deep-sea port and a river port.
The main port enterprise in Shanghai, the Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG), was established during the reconstitution of the S ...
, as well as nuclear submarines at the
secret naval base in Yulin on the island of
Hainan
Hainan (, ; ) is the smallest and southernmost province of the People's Republic of China (PRC), consisting of various islands in the South China Sea. , the largest and most populous island in China,The island of Taiwan, which is slightly l ...
. The Harpoon missiles have a range of about . The submarines can now attack targets both at sea and on land with Harpoon missiles.
Boats
See also
*
List of submarine classes in service
The list of submarine classes in service includes all submarine classes currently in service with navies or other armed forces worldwide. For surface combatants, see the list of naval ship classes in service.
Ballistic missile submarines
C ...
*
References
External links
Hai Lung (Sea Dragon)-class (Zwaardvis) Submarine - GlobalsecurityFast-attack boat efficacy questioned - Taipei TimesTaiwan Navy Emphasizing Domestic Shipbuilding Program in Ongoing Maritime Restructure - USNI NewsTaiwan seeking Aegis destroyers from U.S.: report - ReutersAbsalon Class Littoral Support Ships - Defense Media NetworkWhy Taiwan Needs Submarines - The Heritage Foundation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hai Lung Class Submarine
Submarine classes
1986 ships
Ships built in the Netherlands
Netherlands–Taiwan relations