Japanese Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) launched the second Taigei — Hakugei type submarine. The launch ceremony of the lead boat was held in 2020.
The launching ceremony of the first serial submarine of the new type Taigei was held at the shipyard in the Japanese city of Kobe. The ship was laid down on January 25, 2019. They want to put the submarine into operation in 2023.
Recall that the launch of the Taigei-type lead submarine took place on October 14 last year. The commissioning of the lead ship is scheduled for next March.
Taigei type lead submarine
Image source: navalnews
The Taigei-type submarine was created to replace the Soryu-type boat. Visually, it almost does not differ from its predecessor, but it has broader combat capabilities.
One of the features of the project can be considered innovative lithium-ion batteries, which were previously installed on some Soryu-type submarines. Other differences of the Taigei type boats include the use of the latest electronics, as well as an exceptionally low noise level.
The length of the Taigei-type submarine is 84 meters, the width is 9.1 meters. The crew consists of 70 people. In total, seven Taigei-type submarines are to be transferred to the Japanese Navy.