Wispywood2344 has drawn this cutaway of future Soryu Aus. - very relevant if Japan is chosen to design the future submarine. This diagram was originally at Wispywood2344's
Here is Wispywood2344's website - right click mouse to Translate into English.
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Wispywood2344 has drawn the estimated (educated guess) diagrams above and below.
Below is the first batch of ten Soryus (the Mark "Mk" 1s). They have Stirling AIP and Lead-acid Batteries (LABs). The first, SS-501, was Laid Down in 2007. The last of the ten Soryu Mk.1s built is SS-510 which is due to be Commissioned in 2019 - see Soryu Table below. To see the diagrams further enlarged and with clearer section numbers, see
Due to perceived safety, efficiency and weight problems with the AIP Japan will not carry AIP over to the two submarine (SS-511 and SS-512) of the Soryu Mk.2 class. The other major difference in the Mk.2s is Lithium-ion Batteries (LIBs). Japan has done sufficient research and testing of LIBs to say that all future Japanese submarines, Mk.2s onwards, will have LIBs. LIBs have quicker charging and greater storage qualities compared to LABs. Reliability over 10 years of operational life might only be estblished in 2027 - just prior to any Soryu Aus being Laid Down.
Looking at the section numbers the changes from Mk.1 to Mk.2 may include:
1) Abolition of Stirling AIP system [section 9]
2) Abolition of LABs (total 480) [section 5, 8]
3) Adoption of LIBs (480 + approximately 240 = 720 LIBs) To lower ther center of gravity and reduce stray magnetic field, modification of hull may be considered to arrange LIBs on the bottom floor of Soryu Mk.2s [section 5, 8, 13]
S comments The estimation of features of Soryu Mk.2s (SS-511 and SS-512) [see SORYU TABLE below] is very interesting, because:
- these Mk.2s have no very expensive (2 Billion yen) (see column "MoF approved amount ¥ Billions" in the TABLE) AIP but still have a budget that makes each 12 billion yen more expensive than the Mk.1s.
- Nothing is reported on the Mk.2 features except LIBs, but, we cannot explain this budget increase due just to an increased number and price of batteries (720 LIBs vs 480 LABs, 6 vs 3 million yen/battery)."
- The increase for the Mk.2s may also be due to
= a new snorkel system which includes a small generator (needed to quickly recharge the LIBs)
= new diesel generators,
= fully adopting the floating deck, and
= new sonar system.
- But still no new GX6 torpedoes (the Type 89s will remain).
4) Existence of unassigned area (probably be assigned to accommodation) [sectoin ?,??]
To see the diagrams further enlarged and with clearer section numbers, see http://blog.livedoor.jp/wispywood2344/others/Soryu_Cutaway_Variants.svg.
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If Japan is chosen the Soryu Mk.2s will also evolve into what may initially be called "Soryu Aus." The Soryu Aus. would then likely be given a permanent Australian name - possibly an Australian submarine officer or crewman.
In terms of sections the changes from Mk.2 to Soryu Aus will include.
1) Insertion of double-hull compartment [section 14]
2) Additional fuel tanks, for longer range, installed outside the pressure hull
3) Maybe one or two additional diesel generators (perhaps conventional 12V25/25SB) (for the larger Soryu Aus.) installed inside the pressure hull.
Whether Japan’s newly developed (still Top Secret) diesel generator system will be exported or not is unclear - so it is possible 3 or 4 of the current lower powered Kawasaki 12V25/25SB might be in Soryu Aus.
4) There may also be a Vertical Multi-Purpose Lock (VMPL) in one section (perhaps for Tomahawks, Large UUV or stores) [section 14, 13, ? and ??].
Wispywood2344 has also drawn this Soryu Aus. cutaway (same as diagram at top). It is likely that the contents of the submarine will be expanded - spread through the two empty sections.
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SORYU TABLE (with earlier Oyashios) as at April 19, 2016
SS No. | Build No Name | Pennant No. | MoF approved amount ¥ Billions & FY | LABs, LIBs, AIP | Laid Down | Laun -ched | Commi-ssioned | Built By |
5SS | 8105 Oyashio | SS-590/ TS3608 | ¥52.2B FY1993 | LABs only | Jan 1994 | Oct 1996 | Mar 1998 | KHI |
6SS-15SS Oyashios 10 subs | 8106 -8115 various | SS-591-600 | ¥52.2B per sub FY1994-FY2003 | LABs only | Feb 1994 | Mar 2008 | MHI & KHI | |
16SS Soryu Mark 1 | 8116 Sōryū | 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 | Mar 2013 | 2 Nov 2015 | Mar? 2017 | KHI |
25SS | 8124 | SS-509 | ¥53.1B FY2013 | LABs + AIP | 22 Oct 2013 | Nov? 2016 | Mar? 2018 | MHI |
26SS | 8125 | SS-510 | ¥51.7B FY2014 | LABs + AIP | 2014 | ? | Mar 2019? | KHI |
27SS Soryu Mark 2 | 8126 | SS-511 | ¥64.3B FY2015 | LIBs only | 2015 | 2017? | Mar 2020 | MHI |
28SS | 8127 | SS-512 | ¥63.6B FY2016 | LIBs only | 2016? | 2018? | Mar 2021? | KHI |
29SS | ? | ? | 1st of New Japanese Class | LIBs only | ? | ? | 2023? | MHI? |
Soryu Aus.1 | ? | ? | 1st of Aus class (if Japan chosen) | LIBs only | 2027? | 2030? | 2033? | in Aus or Jpn? |
Soryu Aus.2 to 12? | ? | ? | between 5 and 11 additional Aus subs | LIBs only | from 2029? | from 2031? | from 2034? | ?? |
Table courtesy of information provided to Submarine Matters. LABs = lead-acid batteries,
AIP = air independent propulsion, LIBs = lithium-ion batteries.
The Soryu evolution through to Soryu Aus is clearly very complex, but S and Wispywood2344 have done much to make the Japanese submarine evolution known. This may, to an extent, allay fears that Japanese submarines are unknown territory compared to German and French submarines.
Pete