The Japan Times reports on October 14, 2020, in MHI's Kobe shipyard, Japan launched and named the first of a new class of submarine. Following my September 29, 2020 prediction that "the New Class would likely be assigned a name of a Japanese mythological creature" this has occurred.
The first submarine of class (and with it Class Name) has been named "Taigei" ("Big Whale") after the WWII submarine tender Taigei which was converted into the Japanese aircraft carrier Ryuho.
See Taigei, with further details, in the Table below.
Japanese Submarine Table as at October 14, 2020.
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 | 8105 Oyashio | SS-590/ TS3608 | ¥52.2B FY1993 2 x 12V25/25S diesels for all Oyashio class (each diesel 2,000kW) | 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 Dragon class Mk I | 8116 | SS-501 | ¥60B FY2004 all Mk.1 LAB+AIP Soryus have 2 x Kawasaki 12V25/25SB diesels may total SMC-8 motor | 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 |
21SS LIBs Concept Research Project | No 21SS built. It was an 8 year research project on LIBs. 1st LIBs sub launched was 27SS in 2018. | |||||||
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 | 8125 | SS-510 | LABs + AIP | 2014 | 6 Nov 2017 | KHI | ||
27SS a Soryu "Mk II" as it has LIBs. 1st Soryu Mk II | 8126 | SS-511 | SMC-8B motor Soryu Mk IIs may have twice as many batteries as Mk Is, ie 960 LIB-arrays in Mk IIs, other improvements | LIBs only (SLH type) | Nov 2015 | 4 Oct 2018 | 2020 | MHI |
28SS Soryu Mk II, final Soryu | 8127 | SS-512 | SLH LIBs | Jan 2017 | Mar 2021? | KHI | ||
29SS? First Taigei (Big Whale) Class "3,000 ton" | 8128 Taigei | ¥76B FY2017 (Heisei 29) Higher ¥76B budget being first of class with new 12V25/31S diesels | SLH LIBs maybe 960 | 2017? | 14 Oct 2020 | Mar 2022 | MHI | |
30SS? Second of Taigei Class | SS-513 | ¥71.5B FY2018 (Heisei 30) 12V25/31S diesels | SLH LIBs | 2018? | 2020? | 2022? | MHI? | |
01SS? Third of Taigei Class | 8029? | SS-514 | ¥B? FY2019 (Reiwa 01) 12V25/31S diesels | SLH LIBs maybe 960+ | 2019? | 2021? | 2023? | KHI? |
02SS? Fourth of Taigei Class | 8030? | SS-515 | ¥B? FY2020 (Reiwa 02) Improved SLH LIBS 2 x Diesels uprated 12V25/31S or newer (each likely | Impro ved SLH LIBs | 2020? | 2022? | 2024? | MHI? |
03SS | 8031? | SS-516 | ¥B? FY2021 | LIBs | 2021? | 2023? | 2025? | KHI? |
04SS | 8032? | SS-517 | ¥B? FY2022 | LIBs | 2022? | 2024? | 2026? | MHI? |
05SS | 8033? | SS-518 | ¥B? FY2023 | LIBs | 2023? | 2025? | 2027? | KHI? |
06SS | 8034? | SS-519 | ¥B? FY2024 | LIBs | 2024? | 2026? | 2028? | MHI? |
07SS | 8035? | SS-520 | ¥B? FY2025 | LIBs | 2025? | 2027? | 2029? | KHI? |
08SS | 8036? | SS-521 | ¥B? FY2026 | LIBs | 2026? | 2028? | 2030? | MHI? |
Key to Table: Table 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.
¥***B = Billion Yen. MHI = Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, KHI = Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation of Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
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