Japan goes to top of class with new submarine

20th October 2020 - 22:00 GMT | by Gordon Arthur in Christchurch

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A new generation of Japanese attack submarines is on its way, building on the current Soryu-class design.

Japan launched the first of a new diesel-electric submarine class at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) shipyard in Kobe on 14 October. The keel of the submarine was laid on 16 March 2018.

The future JS Taigei (its name means ‘big whale’ and will carry the pennant number 513) represents the successor to the Soryu class in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). The class was formerly known as 29SS. The submarine is expected to enter service in March 2022.

This attack class displaces 3,000t and, according to JMSDF data, it measures 84m long, has a beam of 9.1m and …

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