Introduction
The JMSDF or Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s said first Soryu-class diesel-electric submarine (SSK) fitted with lithium-ion batteries, the JS Oryu, received its new homeport in Kure, Hiroshima prefecture on April 7. As per reports, the JS Oryu will serve with the JMSDF’s Submarine Flotilla 1. The JS Oryu was commissioned into service at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) facility in Kobe, in Hyogo Prefecture in west-central Japan on March 5. Soryu submarines are the first to have Lithium-ion batteries
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| Soryu Class Submarine |
The boat is that the 11th Soryu-class SSK commissioned into service and therefore the sixth built by MHI. JS Oryu was launched in October 2018. during this article Defense Talks, analyzes, why Soryu-class submarine powered by lithium-ion batteries could sink the Chinese Navy? Let’s start.
Background
Japan has watched because the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has gone from a green-water navy capable of operating only in regional seas relatively on the brink of home to a full-fledged blue water fleet operating as far because of the Indian Ocean and Baltic. China has maintained a very high economic process over the last 20 years & has become a serious economic power. It's spent heavily on military buildup & modernized its military forces. Soryu submarines are the first to have Lithium-ion batteries
The PLAN is now considerably larger than Japan’s Maritime Self soldiers in both overall tonnage and number of vessels. China’s rise, as predicted by many experts isn't peaceful. In recent times, China has been very aggressive in its posturing. Its activities are far away from being a wise nation.
China’s corrosive behaviors within the South China Sea and neighboring areas haven't gone noticed. Japan has been increasingly aware of the very fact that its territory which is surrounded by waters is susceptible to naval strikes from Japanese undersea and surface combatants. Keeping this insight, Japan is trying to find ways to strengthen its submarine fleet.
Soryu-class submarine overview
The Sōryū-class submarines (16SS) are diesel-electric attack submarines. the primary boat within the class entered service with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force in 2009. the planning is an evolution of the Oyashio-class submarine, from which it can most easily be distinguished by its X-shaped stern combination diving planes and rudders. The Sōryūs have the most important displacement of any submarine employed by post-war Japan. the category displaces 2,947 tonnes when surfaced and 4,100 tonnes when submerged.
It's a beam of 9.1 meters and a hull draught of 8.4 meters. The boats of this class have a crew consists of 9 officers and 56 sailors. Sōryū-class is Japan's first air-independent propulsion submarine. the primary 10 submarines of this class are powered with Kockums Naval Solutions Stirling engines license-built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, allowing them to remain submerged for extended periods. Sōryū-class features a maximum surface speed of 13 knots and a subsurface speed of 20 knots. the utmost diving depth of the sub is around 650 meters.
The boats have an estimated range of 6,100 nautical miles or around 11,297 km The Soryus have extensive active defense systems - the ZLR-3-6 ECM suite and two 3 inch underwater countermeasures launchers for launching acoustic devices. it's to be noted that the whole submarine is roofed in acoustic tiling to scale back both the signature of enemy active sonar signals and sounds from the within the vessel. Soryu class is taken into account to be one among the foremost silent within the world.
Lithium-ion battery power
Ōryū the 11th one is that the world's first lithium-ion battery submarine. The JMSDF is currently the sole naval service within the world to possess installed this technology aboard a submarine. Lithium-ion batteries have almost double the electrical storage capacity of traditional lead-acid batteries.
Lithium-ion batteries will enable the Oryu to shut off its diesel-electric propulsion and operate battery power alone for long periods underwater improving the underwater endurance significantly. Readers may note that batteries are way less noisy than diesel-electric engines and reduce the subs acoustic signature, making detection harder. JMSDF believes that lithium-ion is that the way forward and intends to 'trial' this new system and compare it to the previous AIP system for operational effectiveness. Soryu submarines are the first to have Lithium-ion batteries
In November last year, Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) launched the 12th and final Soryu-class SSK, the longer-term JS Toryu. just like the JS Oryu, the Toryu, slated to be commissioned in March 2021, also will be fitted with lithium-ion batteries.
Weapon
Each submarine has an optronic mast and ZPS-6F surface/low-level air search radar for the detection of enemy Anti Submarine Warefare and maritime patrol craft. To detect enemy warships and submarines, Oryu has bow-and-flank-mounted Hughes/Oki ZQQ-7 sonar arrays. It's also equipped with a towed array sonar capable of detecting ships over 70 km or 37 nautical miles away.
The Soryu-class is fitted with six HU-606 533 mm torpedo tubes which will accommodate Type 89 heavyweight torpedoes for anti-submarine operations and UGM-84 Harpoon for anti-ship role. the sort 89 torpedo may be a submarine-launched torpedo produced by Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. It replaced the unguided Type 72 torpedo.
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| Type 89 Heavyweight Torpedo |
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| UGM 84 Harpoon Missile |
Development was done by the Technical Research and Development Institute, a department of the Ministry of Defense, and commenced in 1970, with the planning completed by 1984. Developed from the sort 80 torpedo, it's similar in its capabilities to the U.S Mark 48 ADCAP torpedo. After being formally approved in 1989 and named "Type 89", it entered service. it's a wire-guided torpedo that features both active and passive homing modes. Compared to Mk-48 torpedo, it's slightly longer and heavier but features a marginally smaller warhead (267 kg or 588 lbs compared to 295 kg or 650 lbs). Soryu submarines are the first to have Lithium-ion batteries
However, it is often used at a greater depth (900 m vs. 800 m for the Mk-48). The Harpoon is an all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile, developed and made by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing Defense, Space & Security). The submarine-launched variant is fitted with a solid-fuel rocket booster and encapsulated during a container to enable submerged launch through a tube The missile has subsonic speed and capable of hitting targets quite 70 miles or 112 km away.
Analysis
It must be noted here that China is already witnessing an economic slowdown and therefore the recent events will surely see a keep off by many countries. during this situation, China’s aggressive military posturing may come to haunt it if Japan restarts its militarization. It must be noted that Japan already features a strong military though it's not gone all call at its pursuit.
If Japan decisively takes that path, it could rise during a very short time. Another important aspect is that the U.S is Japan’s ally and is bound by the treaty of 'Mutual Cooperation and Security' to return to Japan’s aid just in case Japan faces aggression from an external party.
So, if a conflict breaks out, Japan will get to hold off China for a few times till full-fledged American support is received. Keeping this scenario in mind we will easily see that the fleet of Sōryū-class subs will play a serious role. Sōryū-class is already considered to be one among the simplest and with the addition of Lithium-ion battery tech, it'll become even more deadly. The submarine's sensors and weapons will enable them to trace and hunt Chinese subs and warships.
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