U.S. - Taiwan Sub Intrigue Continues ...

Background
April 2001
Then U.S. President George W. Bush decided to help Taiwan acquire 8 diesel electric submarines but there has been little progress mainly because the United States no longer produces these conventional-powered vessels.

April 21, 2006 (M.E.) prediction:  "While U.S. companies will build these subs [to Taiwan], Sweden will not sell upgraded stealth technology to foreign countries, because Sweden will provide AIP and perhaps other key hardware to Electric Boat."


Updates since 2006
March 2011
Newport News Shipbuilding, along with the shipbuilding sector of Northrop Grumman spun-off to a Huntington Ingalls Industries, a new company.  It is now possible that some or all of the building contracts will be awarded to Huntington Ingalls Industries.

June 2014
Saab finalizes the deal with ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions AG to buy its former Kockums subsidiary. Kockums had built Sweden's HSwMS Gotland advanced AIP sub, which the U.S. Navy leased for about 2 years during the period from 2005-2007 for use in "anti-submarine warfare exercises".  SAAB (Kockums former owner) or Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine, if given Swedish license, may possibly provide sub systems for U.S. sub builder(s,) although this now seems somewhat less likely.

September 2014
U.S. Navy official confirms discussion of submarine deal with Taiwan
Washington, Sept. 8 (CNA) A top U.S. Navy official said Monday that he has talked to Taiwan about its efforts to acquire submarines from the United States or build submarines on its own, but he declined to give details.

During a discussion on the Asia-Pacific rebalance held by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Jonathan Greenert [former commander of USS Honolulu (SSN 718)] acknowledged having a conversation with Taiwanese officials but said he could not reveal any details.

Submarines are always silent and strange.