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Taigei, Japanese for 'Giant Whale,' after over a decade of research and development, was launched on October 14, 2020, and is scheduled to be officially commissioned by the Maritime Self-Defense Force of Japan (MSDF) starting from March 2022. Instead of using diesel fuel or nuclear energy, Teigei is the first submarine equipped with a propeller system powered by electric motors, powered by lithium-ion batteries.
Taigei was constructed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries at its shipyard in Kobe, according to sources from The War Zone. Currently, Japan aims to increase the number of submarines serving in the MSDF from 16 to 22, as outlined in their Defense Program Guidelines introduced in 2010.The submarine with electric motors and lithium-ion batteries measures 84 meters in length, 9.1 meters in width, and has a value of 76 billion Japanese Yen, equivalent to 722.23 million USD to build. The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force states that the lithium-ion battery system allows the submarine to operate for longer periods compared to other submarines operated by the Japanese Navy. Taigei has a crew capacity of 70 members, and the space, according to MSDF, is very suitable for female sailors. Thanks to the use of lithium-ion batteries, the charging process through the diesel engine is much faster, and the battery life is also much higher compared to submarines equipped with lead-acid batteries. The only downside of Taigei is the assembly cost, as lithium-ion batteries are much more expensive than lead-acid batteries.Another improvement of Taigei is the AIP (Air Independent Propulsion) system, which significantly reduces moving parts to reduce noise during operation, helping to reduce the likelihood of detection and tracking by enemies when the submarine moves, while also increasing acceleration compared to submarines equipped with traditional AIP systems.According to Asia Times
