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Japan Kawasaki Heavy Industries
Taigei-class
Diesel-electric attack submarine class jointly built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, the successor to the Soryu-class. It is the first Japanese submarine class to use lithium-ion batteries in every hull rather than air-independent propulsion, extending submerged endurance.
In service since 2022 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
20
kn
3,000
t
70
crew
Pricing: Approximately JPY 69.7 billion per boat, per Japanese Ministry of Defense budget documents.
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
National export licensing
Subject to Japan export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 2022. Status: active · ~3 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Compatible munitions & weapons
Publicly reported weapons the Taigei-class can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.
Full specifications
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Torpedo tubes Number of torpedo tubes (submarines and some surface ships). | 6 |
|---|
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 84 m |
|---|
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
| Engine Powerplant model and type. | 2x Kawasaki 12V 25/31 diesel generators with lithium-ion battery storage, 1x electric motor |
|---|---|
| Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet… | Diesel-electric |
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
| Radar Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art. | ZPS-6H surface-search radar |
|---|---|
| Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights. | Oki ZQQ-8 sonar suite with bow, flank-array and fibre-optic towed-array sonars, OYX-1 processing system, ZQX-12 tactical display system, NZLR-2 electronic support measures, Non-penetrating optical periscope |
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability. | 3 |
|---|---|
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 1 |
Specifications compiled from public Kawasaki Heavy Industries and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
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Naval Group Suffren class Frequently asked questions
What engine does the Kawasaki Heavy Industries Taigei-class use? +
The Kawasaki Heavy Industries Taigei-class is powered by the 2x Kawasaki 12V 25/31 diesel generators with lithium-ion battery storage, 1x electric motor.
What is the Kawasaki Heavy Industries Taigei-class used for? +
The Kawasaki Heavy Industries Taigei-class is a submarine typically used for anti ship.
How many countries operate the Kawasaki Heavy Industries Taigei-class? +
The Kawasaki Heavy Industries Taigei-class is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the Kawasaki Heavy Industries Taigei-class cost? +
Kawasaki Heavy Industries Taigei-class: Approximately JPY 69.7 billion per boat, per Japanese Ministry of Defense budget documents.. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
