JS Sōryū (SS-501)

JS Sōryū (SS-501) is the first boat of Sōryū-class submarines. She was commissioned on 30 March 2009.

JS Sōryū
History
Japan
Name:	Sōryū (そうりゅう)
Namesake:	Sōryū
Ordered:	2004
Builder:	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Cost:	¥64.3 billion
Laid down:	31 March 2005
Launched:	5 December 2007
Commissioned:	30 March 2009
Homeport:	Kure
Identification:	SS-501
Status:	Active
General characteristics
Class and type:	Sōryū-class attack submarine
Displacement:	Surfaced: 2,900 tonnes (2,854 long tons) Submerged: 4,200 t (4,134 long tons)
Length:	84.0 m (275 ft 7 in)
Beam:	9.1 m (29 ft 10 in)
Draught:	8.5 m (27 ft 11 in)
Propulsion:	1-shaft 2× Kawasaki 12Ｖ 25/25 SB-type diesel engines diesel-electric 4× Kawasaki Kockums V4-275R Stirling engines 3,900 hp (2,900 kW) surfaced 8,000 hp (6,000 kW) submerged
Speed:	Surfaced: 13 kn (24 km/h; 15 mph) Submerged: 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph)[1]
Range:	AIP endurance (est.): 6100 nautical miles (11297.2 km; 7060.75 miles) at 6.5 knots (12 km/h; 7.48 mp/h)[1]
Complement:	65 (9 officers, 56 enlisted)
Sensors and processing systems:	ZPS-6F surface/low-level air search radar Hughes/Oki ZQQ-7 Sonar suite: 1× bow-array, 4× LF flank arrays and 1× Towed array sonar
Electronic warfare & decoys:	ZLR-3-6 ESM equipment 2× 3-inch underwater countermeasure launcher tubes for launching of Acoustic Device Countermeasures (ADCs)
Armament:	6 × HU-606 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes with 30 reloads for: 1.) Type 89 torpedo 2.) Harpoon (missile) Mines

Construction and career

Sōryū was laid down at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Kobe Shipyard on March 31, 2005 as the 2004 plan 2900-ton submarine No. 8116 based on the medium-term defense capability development plan, and was named on December 5, 2007. At the launching ceremony, it was named Sōryū and launched. Deployed to Kure.

On July 9, 2008, an accident occurred in which five workers at Mitsubishi Shipyard were electrocuted and burned.

After leaving Yura Port for confirmation operation after regular inspection before 7:00 am on October 8, 2012, diving started at 8:47 am. At around 2:18 pm, the three sergeants disappeared on duty during the dive Sōryū and when they surfaced and searched, they were found to be in the flooded area inside the bridge sail. The Accident Investigation Commission concluded that the three sergeants committed suicide.[2]

On September 2, 2013, in the bedroom of the Sōryū anchored at Kure base, the second class lieutenant attempted suicide with a pistol taken out of the hangar on the boat. The second class lieutenant was not killed, but he still had a serious disability. In 2015, the Maritime Self-Defense Force determined that the cause of the suicide was the assault of a superior, and took disciplinary action for several days after suspending the senior officer and those who had tolerated the assault. However, it was reported in various media on January 12, 2016 that the JMSDF had not announced the disposition because of ongoing discussions with the Second Class Lieutenant. The parents of the second class lieutenant have announced that they will file a trial in the Yamaguchi District Court in January 2016 seeking damages of 30 million yen against the country.[3]

Participate in the Japan-US-India Joint Training (Malabar 2018) to be held on Guam Island and the sea and airspace around the island from June 8 to 16, 2018.[4] Participating units include JS Sōryū, escort vessels JS Ise, JS Suzunami, JS Fuyuzuki, 5 onboard aircraft, and 2 P-1 patrol aircraft.[5]

Citations

1. Pike, John. "SS-501 Soryu / 16SS / SS 2,900 ton Class". www.globalsecurity.org. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
2. 「海上自衛隊ニュース 航海中の「そうりゅう」で乗員1名が死亡」 『世界の艦船』第770集（2012年12月号）海人社 P.100
3. "「上官の暴力で自殺未遂」…家族が国提訴へ". Mainichi Daily News (in Japanese). 13 January 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
4. https://www.mod.go.jp/msdf/release/201805/20180531.pdf
5. https://www.mod.go.jp/msdf/release/201806/20180607.pdf

References

• 『世界の艦船 増刊第66集 海上自衛隊全艦艇史』（海人社、2004年）