Taiwan’s surface navy is no position to contest the South China Sea in any kind of pitched conflict with the People’s Liberation Army Navy. Taiwan’s political leadership has only recently begun to come to grips with the reality that sea-control is no longer a viable military strategy. Instead, Taiwan’s only recourse against a qualitatively and quantitatively stronger Chinese navy lies in Anti-Access/Area-Denial (A2/AD) tactics. A sizeable fleet of modernized Taiwanese attack submarines could impose serious costs on Chinese vessels operating in the Taiwan Strait, ambushing their target with close-distance torpedo or anti-ship missile saturation strikes.
I've been all over that for years. Although I think the traditional Taiwanese surface navy has a role in trying to keep Taiwan's sea lines of communication open east of the island.
One advantage is that America can (now that we have returned Harpoon to our subs) intervene quietly before we are overtly ready to confront China.
If Taiwan has Harpoon missiles on their subs, we can all marvel at how effective those scrappy little boats are sinking Chinese ships left and right.
And if you doubt that, prove those were American boats doing the shooting! My guess is they could be launched from Shangri-La.
Unable to buy the boats from other suppliers due to pressure from China (and America does not build them), Taiwan has belatedly embarked on a program to build their own. Let's hope it isn't too late.
