Japan roars ahead with Li-ion batteries
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) commissioned its first lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery-powered submarine on 5 March.
This makes Japan the first nation in the world to adopt this type of battery in a conventional SSK.
The 2,950t JS Oryu (SS 511) was inducted in a ceremony in Hyogo Prefecture. The vessel will be assigned to Submarine Flotilla 1 based in Kure.
The 84m-long boat was built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) in Kobe, and it is the eleventh Soryu-class submarine to enter the JMSDF. JS Oryu was laid down in March 2015 and launched in October 2018.
The utilisation
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