Following delays, Taiwan is set to receive Mk 48 Mod 6 Advanced Technology heavyweight torpedoes and related equipment from the US over the next three years.
According to the country’s latest Ministry of National Defense budget proposal, the Republic of China (ROC) Navy is expecting four training simulator systems in 2026, followed by 14 torpedoes in 2027 and 10 torpedoes in 2028, as reported by Taipei Times.
It is part of a potential 5.46-billion New Taiwan dollar ($178 million) foreign military sale that Washington approved in June 2017.
Taipei’s original plan was to receive full delivery of Mk 48 Mod 6 torpedoes by 2028, but the US reportedly extended that timeline to 2030 due to delays, including Raytheon having to restart production as the last batch was delivered in 1996.
However, the ROC’s latest budget proposal indicates that it is aiming to get deliveries back on track with the original 2028 completion target.
Heavyweight Torpedo
The US-made submarine-launched torpedoes are intended to replace the ROC Navy’s aging German-made surface and underwater target heavyweight torpedoes.
The 3,744-pound (1,698-kilogram) torpedo carries a 650-pound (295-kilogram) high-explosive warhead, can dive beyond 365 meters (1,198 feet) deep, and travel at speeds over 28 knots (32 miles/52 kilometers per hour).
It features sophisticated sonar and a digital guidance system for smoother upgrades in response to quickly evolving threats, as described by the US Navy.
Once delivered, the torpedoes will likely be launched from two of the ROC Navy’s upgraded Chien Lung-class diesel-electric attack submarines, the Hai Lung and Hai Hu.
They are also being eyed for deployment on Taiwan’s first homegrown submarine named “Hai Kun,” which underwent sea trials in June.
