Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. held a ceremony marking the launch of the submarine SOUGEI at its No.1 Building Berth in Kobe Shipyard which is built for the Japan Ministry of Defense (MOD). The ceremony was attended by a delegation of top MOD officials.

The submarine is the sixth Taigei class submarine, and the 32^nd built at Kawasaki Kobe shipyard after World War II.

It provides superior submerged operation and propulsion performance, and has high water pressure resistance by using high strength steel for its pressure hull. Additionally, it has new type of engines. It also has lithium-ion battery systems for increased underwater endurance, a variety of automated systems, improved surveillance capabilities using high-performance sonar, increased stealth capabilities, enhanced safety measures and several facilities for female crew members.

The submarine’s construction timetable and specifications are as follows: