This is Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s 11th Soryu-class diesel-electric attack submarine, the JS Ōryū, and it is the world’s first boat of its class to be powered by lithium-ion batteries. Yup. Li-ion. The same battery technology that is currently used in hundreds of thousands of phone across the world.
The lithium-ion battery system here is, of course, much safer than our commercial variety and obviously, of a significantly larger capacity.
The Soryu-class has been serving the JMSDF since 2009, but the 11th Soryu-class diesel-electric attack submarine, designated SS-511, commissioned last month is the first to be powered by the new battery technology designed by GS Yuasa.
The SS-511 is the 6th Soryu-class submarine manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries with the rest of the 5 built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
Soryu-class is world’s largest conventional sub with a displacement of almost 3,000 tons and stretches 84 meters (about 276 feet).
With the new lithium-ion battery technology, the JS Ōryū will be able to stay submerged longer over the antiquated lead-acid battery system used by most conventional submarines. However, it is not known how long it can stay underwater when compared to its lead-acid battery counterpart.
Featured image courtesy of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.
Additional images: Twitter (@kakoline125).
Source: Naval News.
