Taiwanese Subs Get Harpoons

October 15, 2005: Taiwan is equipping its two Dutch built submarines subs with Harpoon anti-ship missiles (launched via the torpedo tubes.) The Taiwanese originally wanted six of these boats, but diplomatic pressure by China in the early 1990s caused the Dutch to back off after only two were built. The two boats the Taiwanese do have are twenty years old. The Harpoon missiles will make them much more effective in any future war, especially against Chinese ships trying to invade Taiwan.