Japan's fifth Taigei-class submarine floated out

The future JS Chogei ("Long Whale"), the fifth Taigei-class diesel-electric attack submarine (SSK) ordered by the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF), was launched at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' Kobe shipyard on Friday, October 4.

Like its sisters, the future Chogei has a length of 84 metres, a hull diameter of 9.1 metres, lithium-ion batteries for extended underwater endurance, a crew complement of 70, and armament including torpedoes and Harpoon anti-ship missiles.

The Taigei-class SSKs are modified variants of the Soryu-class submarines that have been in service with the JMSDF since 2009. JS Taigei, JS Hakugei, and JS Jingei are the first three boats in the class to enter service while the future JS Raigei and Chogei will be commissioned by 2025 and 2026, respectively.

The Taigei-class boats will all utilise a similar overall hull design as the Soryu-class but with a heavier displacement to accommodate advanced sonar and snorkel systems. The Taigei-class were also designed to accommodate lithium-ion batteries, whereas all but one of the Soryu-class boats were originally equipped with traditional lead-acid batteries.