Soryu class submarine
Encyclopedia
The Sōryū class submarine or 16SS is a new class of diesel-electric submarine being built in Japan
for use by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
. It is an evolved form of the Oyashio class submarine
, currently the latest type of conventionally-powered submarine operated by the JMSDF, and it will have a larger displacement than any previous class of submarine used by post war Japan. It can be best visually distinguished from the Oyashio class by the X-shape of the tail planes.
The class will also have an Stirling
AIP engine
(four 4V-275R Mk-III, power output each 75kW) licensed built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries system, allowing it to stay submerged for longer periods of time.
and list of legendary auspicious animals will be used for following submarines. Sōryū (そうりゅう) literally means blue dragon in Japanese. She is named after the World War II carrier of the same name
, which was sunk during the Battle of Midway
.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
for use by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
The , or JMSDF, is the naval branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. It was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy after World War II....
. It is an evolved form of the Oyashio class submarine
Oyashio class submarine
The Oyashio is a class of Japanese diesel-electric submarine operated by the JMSDF. The submarines entered service in the late 1990s. The submarines are larger than the earlier Harushio class submarines, to provide space for a flank sonar array.-Boats:...
, currently the latest type of conventionally-powered submarine operated by the JMSDF, and it will have a larger displacement than any previous class of submarine used by post war Japan. It can be best visually distinguished from the Oyashio class by the X-shape of the tail planes.
The class will also have an Stirling
Stirling engine
A Stirling engine is a heat engine operating by cyclic compression and expansion of air or other gas, the working fluid, at different temperature levels such that there is a net conversion of heat energy to mechanical work....
AIP engine
Air-independent propulsion
Air-independent propulsion is a term that encompasses technologies which allow a submarine to operate without the need to surface or use a snorkel to access atmospheric oxygen. The term usually excludes the use of nuclear power, and describes augmenting or replacing the diesel-electric propulsion...
(four 4V-275R Mk-III, power output each 75kW) licensed built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries system, allowing it to stay submerged for longer periods of time.
Naming convention
Prior to SS Soryu, the submarines built for the JMSDF were named after the names of ocean currents. The JMSDF changed its naming conventionJapanese ship naming conventions
Japanese ship naming conventions are different from those in the West. Japanese warships have never been named after people. Prior to World War II, Japanese ship naming conventions underwent several changes before being settled.- Merchant ships :...
and list of legendary auspicious animals will be used for following submarines. Sōryū (そうりゅう) literally means blue dragon in Japanese. She is named after the World War II carrier of the same name
Japanese aircraft carrier Soryu
was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. During the Second World War, she took part in the attack on Pearl Harbor, Wake Island, Port Darwin and raids in the Indian Ocean before being sunk at the Battle of Midway.-Design:...
, which was sunk during the Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
.
Boats
| Project no. | Building no. | Pennant no. | Name/Namesake | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Home port |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S131 | 8116 | SS-501 | / Blue Dragon | 31 March 2005 | 5 December 2007 | 30 March 2009 | Kure Kure, Hiroshima is a city in Hiroshima prefecture, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 240,820 and a population density of 681 persons per km². The total area is 353.74 km².- History :... |
| S131 | 8117 | SS-502 | / Cloud Dragon | 31 March 2006 | 15 October 2008 | 25 March 2010 | Kure |
| 8118 | SS-503 | / White Dragon | 6 February 2007 | 16 October 2009 | 14 March 2011 | Kure | |
| 8119 | SS-504 | / Sword Dragon | 31 March 2008 | 15 November 2010 | (March 2012) | ? | |
| 8120 | SS-505 | / Auspicious Dragon | 16 March 2009 | 20 October 2011 | (March 2013) | ? | |
| 8122 | SS-506 | ? | (2011) | (2013) | (March 2015) | ? | |
| S131 | 8123 | SS-507 | ? | (2012) | (2014) | (March 2016) | ? |