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
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![How France’s SNLE 3G programme is reshaping the naval nuclear industrial base]()
How France’s SNLE 3G programme is reshaping the naval nuclear industrial base
Extending far beyond a four-submarine replacement programme, France’s ballistic missile submarine effort is a decades-long industrial initiative designed to preserve the country’s ability to build and sustain nuclear-powered strategic platforms.
-
![Suppliers await next step in Australia’s mine warfare transition]()
Suppliers await next step in Australia’s mine warfare transition
Australia’s mine countermeasure capability remains in flux as the Huon-class nears retirement, but accelerated investment in autonomous systems is opening a path for industry.
-
![Can the US Navy ask Indo-Pacific allies to do more while training with them less?]()
Can the US Navy ask Indo-Pacific allies to do more while training with them less?
As the Iran War draws US ships and marine corps units away from the Indo-Pacific, curtailed exercises and a temporary carrier gap are exposing tensions between Washington’s demand for more self-reliant allies and the joint training needed to realise that ambition.
-
![How could Rheinmetall’s GMF 140 fit with ongoing programmes in North America?]()
How could Rheinmetall’s GMF 140 fit with ongoing programmes in North America?
With Canada committed to its River-class replacement and the USN pursuing a lower-cost frigate, Rheinmetall will need to demonstrate where the GMF 140 can fill a capability gap in the North American fleet.
