The navy should develop deep-sea rescue capabilities amid preparations to launch a prototype submarine by September next year, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Tsai Shih-ying (蔡適應) said on Friday.
Although the first of the navy’s new auxiliary rescue and salvage vessels is to be completed next year, the ship lacks a large center well, deep submergence rescue vehicle, hypobaric chamber and systems to facilitate deep dives, Tsai told the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper).
This means the capabilities of the rescue vessel to conduct submarine rescue missions are extremely limited, and sailors trapped in a stricken submarine would have to