With the Covert Shores - Popular Mechanics articles yesterday what can we learn about Japan's Future Submarine class, classified 29SS?:
29SS (see Table below) with a little more color, will be the lead boat in the new Japanese Kamikaze
(神風 - "Divine Wind") class. Such mythical winds follow Japan's Oyashio (mythical currents ) and Soryu (mythical dragons) class submarines.
Japan relied on brave Japanese pilots in Kamikaze aircraft to sink or damage allied ships in WWII, in part because of inadequate use of Japan's submarine force (see page 2, paragraph 1 of this source). It is therefore fitting that Japan's new submarines, faced with overwhelming Chinese submarine numbers and Chinese SSN qualitative superiority, will carry on such sacrifice.
Popular Mechanics advises:
The Kamikazes will, with the benefit of heavier, more voluminous, NCA formula Lithium-ion Batteries (LIBs) have longer (maybe 10 day) fully submerged performance .
Of course the Kamikazes (like the Australian Under Attack class) will be as good as sunk against the superiority of Chinese and Russian nuclear propelled attack submarines (SSNs).
Japan and Australia currently, and out to 2040, will be totally reliant on the whims of increasingly isolationist US SSN management to take on Chinese and Russian SSNs.
China's and Russia's increasingly sensitive fixed and mobile anti-submarine sensors demand more discrete performance from these Japanese and Australian diesel-electric submarines. But even with LIBs, these Japo-Aussie subs still need to loudly snort with supercharged diesel engines every 10 days. Thus blowing their residual discretion out of the water.
What might the new Kamikaze - 29SS class look like (courtesy H I Sutton's Covert Shores and anticipated by Submarine Matters on June 14, 2017 ):
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Putting 29SS in Japanese sub evolutionary context:
TABLE. Japanese Soryu and Oyashio Programs as at June 27, 2019
29SS (see Table below) with a little more color, will be the lead boat in the new Japanese Kamikaze
(神風 - "Divine Wind") class. Such mythical winds follow Japan's Oyashio (mythical currents ) and Soryu (mythical dragons) class submarines.
Japan relied on brave Japanese pilots in Kamikaze aircraft to sink or damage allied ships in WWII, in part because of inadequate use of Japan's submarine force (see page 2, paragraph 1 of this source). It is therefore fitting that Japan's new submarines, faced with overwhelming Chinese submarine numbers and Chinese SSN qualitative superiority, will carry on such sacrifice.
Popular Mechanics advises:
"The designation “29SS” is derived from the 29th year of the reign of Emperor Akihito, otherwise known to everyone else as 2017, and SS is the international shorthand for non-nuclear attack submarine
... 29SS retains the general hull form of earlier submarines but with some important changes. The sail is substantially reduced and blended into the hull, which should reduce hydrodynamic drag. This will make the submarine quieter, perhaps a little faster, but also more energy efficient. Non-nuclear powered submarines, operating underwater under combat conditions, must carefully manage their power or risk being forced to surface. The dive planes have also been moved from what’s left of the sail to the hull.
...The research and development phase will take place from 2025 to 2028, and the first ship of this class will probably hit the water around 2031."
The Kamikazes will, with the benefit of heavier, more voluminous, NCA formula Lithium-ion Batteries (LIBs) have longer (maybe 10 day) fully submerged performance .
Of course the Kamikazes (like the Australian Under Attack class) will be as good as sunk against the superiority of Chinese and Russian nuclear propelled attack submarines (SSNs).
Japan and Australia currently, and out to 2040, will be totally reliant on the whims of increasingly isolationist US SSN management to take on Chinese and Russian SSNs.
China's and Russia's increasingly sensitive fixed and mobile anti-submarine sensors demand more discrete performance from these Japanese and Australian diesel-electric submarines. But even with LIBs, these Japo-Aussie subs still need to loudly snort with supercharged diesel engines every 10 days. Thus blowing their residual discretion out of the water.
What might the new Kamikaze - 29SS class look like (courtesy H I Sutton's Covert Shores and anticipated by Submarine Matters on June 14, 2017 ):
With a pumpjet/propulsor and (Alfa, Akula slightly Type 212A) smaller, faired fin/sail on a Soryu looking hull (above). Inspired by artwork released by "Kobe Shipyard" (KHI, MHI, Japanese MoD) via Covert Shores (below):
Putting 29SS in Japanese sub evolutionary context:
TABLE. Japanese Soryu and Oyashio Programs as at June 27, 2019
SS No. Diesel Type Motor | Build No Name | Pennant No. | MoF approved amount ¥ Billions FY | LABs, LIBs, AIP | Laid Down | Laun -ched | Commi ssioned | Built By |
5SS Oyashio | SS-590/ TS3608 | ¥52.2B FY1993 | LABs only | Jan 1994 | Oct 1996 | Mar 1998 | KHI | |
6SS-15SS Oyashios 10 subs SMC-7? | 8106 -8115 various | SS-591-600 | ¥52.2B per sub FY1994-FY2003 | LABs only | 15SS Feb 2004 | 15SS Nov 2006 | 15SS Mar 2008 | MHI & KHI |
16SS Soryu Mk I SMC-8 | 8116 | SS-501 | ¥60B FY2004 | LABs + AIP | Mar 2005 | Dec 2007 | Mar 2009 | MHI |
17SS | 8117 Unryū | SS-502 | ¥58.7B FY2005 | LABs + AIP | Mar 2006 | Oct 2008 | Mar 2010 | KHI |
18SS | 8118 Hakuryū | SS-503 | ¥56.2 FY2006 | LABs + AIP | Feb 2007 | Oct 2009 | Mar 2011 | MHI |
19SS | 8119 Kenryū | SS-504 | ¥53B FY2007 | LABs + AIP | Mar 2008 | Nov 2010 | Mar 2012 | KHI |
20SS | 8120 Zuiryū | SS-505 | ¥51B FY2008 | LABs + AIP | Mar 2009 | Oct 2011 | Mar 2013 | MHI |
No 21SS | No 21SS built | |||||||
22SS | 8121 Kokuryū | SS-506 | ¥52.8B FY2010 | LABs + AIP | Jan 2011 | Oct 2013 | Mar 2015 | KHI |
23SS | 8122 Jinryu | SS-507 | ¥54.6B FY2011 | LABs + AIP | Feb 2012 | Oct 2014 | 7 Mar 2016 | MHI |
24SS | 8123 Sekiryū | SS-508 | ¥54.7B FY2012 | LABs + AIP | KHI | |||
25SS | 8124 | SS-509 | ¥53.1B FY2013 | LABs + AIP | 22 Oct 2013 | 12 Oct 2016 | MHI | |
26SS end of SMC-8s | 8125 | SS-510 | LABs + AIP | 2014 | 6 Nov 2017 | KHI | ||
27SS First Soryu Mk II diesel first SMC-8B motor | 8126 | SS-511 | LIBs only (NCA type) | 2015 | 4 Oct 2018 | Mar 2020? | MHI | |
28SS Second Soryu Mk II SMC-8B | 8127 | SS-512 | ¥63.6B FY2016 "2,900t"surfaced | LIBs only (NCA type?) | 2016? | Oct 2019? | Mar 2021? | KHI |
29SS New Class SMC-9? | 8128 | SS-??? | ¥76B FY2017 large budget rise for sub of larger "3,000t" surfaced class page 3 implies many new features. New class? | LIBs only | MHI | |||
30SS New Class | 8029? | SS-??? | ¥71.5B FY2018 | LIBs only | ? | ? | ? | KHI? |
Table from information exclusively provided to Submarine Matters. LABs = lead-acid batteries, AIP = air independent propulsion, LIBs = Lithium-ion Batteries. ¥***B = Billion Yen. MHI = Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, KHI = Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation of Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
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Pete