【Japan's Fifth "Taigei"-class Submarine Officially Commissioned】
According to a report on March 12, 2026, from the UK's Jane's Defence Weekly website: Japan has officially received its fifth "Taigei"-class (Taigei-class) diesel-electric attack submarine - JS Chogei (Chōgai).
According to the Japan Defense Ministry's Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA), the submarine was formally commissioned into the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force after the handover ceremony and flag presentation held at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' Kobe Shipyard on March 10.
The "Chōgai" is the fifth of eight planned "Taigei"-class submarines, which are intended to replace Japan's conventional submarine fleet.
The "Taigei" class replaces the long-serving "Sōryū" class, featuring an upgraded propulsion system, next-generation sensors, and significantly improved acoustic stealth performance.
The class submarine has a displacement of about 3,000 tons, a length of 84 meters, a beam of 9.1 meters, a draft of 10.4 meters, and a crew of approximately 70 people.
Notably, this submarine features a dedicated living area for female crew members, making it the first submarine in Japan to incorporate female living facilities from the design stage.
In terms of combat capability, the "Chōgai" is equipped with six 533 mm bow torpedo tubes, capable of launching the 89-type wire-guided torpedoes, and is expected to integrate more advanced 18-type heavy torpedoes during its service life. In addition, the submarine can also launch the UGM-84L "Harpoon" anti-ship missile.
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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1859502968222794/
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