Japan commissions 12th Soryu-class diesel-electric attack submarine

 

The JS Toryu (SS-512), newest Soryu-class submarine of the JMSDF. Photo c/o JMSDF.

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) has commissioned its 12th Soryu-class diesel-electric attack submarine, during ceremonies held on 24 March 2021 in Kobe, Japan and attended by State Minister for Defense Yasuhide Nakayama.

The new submarine, named the JS Toryu (SS-512), was built at the Kobe Works facility of Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The ship’s name “Toryu” means “Fighting Dragon” in Nihonggo.

While the submarine is the 12th ship of the class, it is the 6th Soryu-class submarine built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, with the rest built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

This specific submarine is one of only two Soryu-class submarines fitted with with lithium-ion batteries, which is said to store more energy than lead-acid batteries mounted on ten of the submarines of the class.

The JS Toryu had its keel laid in January 2017, and was launched on 06 November 2019.

The Soryu-class submarines are 84 meters long, has a beam of 9.1 meters, and a displacement of 2,950 tons surfaced and 4,100 tons submerged. 

They are armed with six 533mm bow mounted torpedo tubes which employs the Japanese Type 89 heavyweight torpedo and the American UGM-84C Harpoon submarine-launched anti-ship missiles. 

They are powered by two Kawasaki 12V 25/25 diesel generators, four Kawasaki Kockums V4-275R Stirling air-independent propulsion (AIP) engines, in addition to the lead-acid or lithium-ion batteries. This allows the submarine to be propelled to a maximum speed of 12 knots when surfaced and 20 knots when submerged.




[1] Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
[2] Navy Recognition
[3] Naval News