Showing posts with label Kawasaki. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kawasaki. Show all posts

Friday 22 January 2016

Kawasaki P-1 Maritime Patrol Aircraft : Japan's Brand New Submarine Hunter

 
 

The Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft of the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force.
 JMSDF Photo.


Introduction


From the same folks who brought you the legendary Kawasaki Z-1 in 1972 that revolutionalised the motorcycle industry comes a spanking new submarine hunter? It's not surprising since Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries ( KHI ) is a huge industrial conglomerate made up of multiple divisions and disciplines. KHI's product portfolio includes anything from the Soryu class Submarine, bulk carriers, LNG carriers, the T-4 Advanced Jet Trainer, Boeing 787 ( Joint Production ), helicopters, space rockets and space station components, motorcycles and ATV, jet skis, high speed rail, industrial robots .... the list goes on and on. KHI is known as 川崎重工業 or Kawasaki Jukogyo in Japanese.



A legend was born : The 1972 Kawasaki Z-1, air-cooled,
4 stroke, 4 cylinders, 903cc DOHC super bike.
This was what catapulted Kawasaki into the global lime light. Photo : KHI



Maritime Patrol Aircraft : A Brief History



A maritime patrol aircraft ( MPA ) is a fixed-wing surveillance aircraft that is designed to operate over open water for extended duration in sea patrol duties, in particular anti-submarine, anti-ship and search and rescue roles. Its history can be traced as far back as World War I, when bombers and floatplanes were converted into patrol aircrafts to counter the German U-boat menace. These early generation MPAs were frequently armed with machine guns, bombs and depth charges.

The requirement for high endurance aircrafts to patrol vast expanses of oceans meant that by WWII, many MPAs were converted from long range bombers ( Consolidated B-24 Liberator ) or airliners ( Focke-Wulf Fw-200 Condor ). Some like the Consolidated PBY Catalina amphibious plane were purpose-built. The emergence of air to surface vessel radars during that era was one of the most significant technological advancement that would change the nature of naval warfare. MPAs armed with high resolution centimetric radars like the ASV III can easily detect small objects like the periscope or snorkel of a submerged submarine making them highly effective in anti-submarine warfare ( ASW ).

The immediate post-WWII period ushered in the jet era, and MPAs continued to evolve in operational capabilities with new technologies like sonobuoys and the magnetic anomaly detector ( MAD ), though due to their unique operational requirement of high loiter time at low speed and low altitude, they remained largely piston engine or turboprop driven. The Lockheed P-2V Neptune from which the Japanese variant the P-2J was based on was a typical example from that time. And yes, the P-2J was license-produced by Kawasaki.

During the Cold War, the emerging threat of ballistic missile carrying submarines raining death and destruction onto large population centres with their multiple nuclear warheads from thousands of miles away meant that MPAs continue to be relevant and in demand. Many of the MPAs currently in service throughout the world like the Lockheed P-3C Orion, the Tupolev Tu-142 Bear and the Ilyushin Il-38 May are products of that era. It was also during that time jet-powered MPAs began to appear, the first to enter service being the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR1.

Today, most MPAs continue the tradition of having airframes derived from proven civilian platforms, especially jetliners. The Boeing P-8A Poseidon based on the venerable 737-800 is a typical example. In the future we would undoubtedly have MPAs in the form of unmanned aerial vehicles like the soon to be operational Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance programme.


Japan's MPA Fleet


When Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force ( JMSDF ) was formed in 1954, it operated obsolete WWII aircraft donated by the United States which included 17 Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon patrol bombers and 20 Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bombers.

From 1956, 60 Lockheed P-2V7 Neptune MPA were added to the fleet, and starting from 1957, 60 Grumman S-2F Tracker ASW aircraft. The Japanese loved the P-2V7 so much that when the time came to have them replaced by the more advanced but expensive Lockheed P-3A Orion, they opted instead to develop an improved version, the P-2V7 Kai ( 改 - kai in Japanese means upgrade or to improve ), later licence produced and designated P-2J. A total of 83 P-2J were produced and they were operational between 1971 to 1994.

The P-2J was eventually replaced by the P-3C, 98 of which was licence produced between 1978 and 1997. Five P-3C had been converted to the OP-3C reconnaissance version and the remaining 93 P-3C are currently the backbone of the JMSDF MPA fleet. Add to that number another 5 EP-3, 1 UP-3C and 3 UP-3D, the grand total is 107 making Japan the largest P-3 operator after the United States.  They will ultimately be replaced by the P-1 of which 70 aircrafts have been planned. The JMSDF classifies the P-3C and the P-1 as Fixed Wing Patrol Aircraft (  固定翼哨戒機 Koteiyoku Shokaiki )




A Kawasaki P-3C Orion based at Atsugi Air Base, Kanagawa Prefecture
flies overland with Mount Fuji in the background.
The JMSDF currently has 93 P-3C in its inventory. Photo : JMSDF 



The UP-3D of the 91st Fleet Air Sqn is an ESM-trainer aircraft
 for the ships of the JMSDF. Its mission is similar to the EP-3J of the USN.
 This particular aircraft with serial number 9163 is the last P-3 ever produced.
Notice the lack of a MAD boom. Photo JMSDF 



The Future MPA P-X Programme


Shortly after the last P-3C ( actually a UP-3D variant, see photo above ) was delivered to the JMSDF by KHI on 1st Feb 2000, marking the end of a production run that lasted for 38 years, the Japanese were already planning for its successor. The Cold War had ended and in the United States, Lockheed's next generation MPA programme, the P-7 Long Range Air ASW Capable Aircraft ( LRAACA ), failed to materialise due to budgetary problems and after incurring huge cost overruns. Existing European alternatives like the United Kingdom's Nimrod MR2 did not meet Japanese requirements. Eventually the Japanese decided that they would have to develop their own MPA.

The P-X future MPA programme was thus initiated in 2001 by the Japanese Ministry of Defence concurrently with the next generation transport aircraft C-X programme to replace the C-130 Hercules and the C-1. These two developments were to be managed as a single project and Kawasaki was appointed the main contractor. The P-X and C-X shared structural components and sub-systems and utilized commercial off the shelf products to save on development and production costs.

First flight for the P-X prototype, by then re-designated the XP-1, took place on 28th Sep 2007. By March 2010 four XP-1 had been delivered to the MOD for testing and trials. They were introduced into service in 2013 as the Kawasaki P-1 to gradually replace JMSDF's ageing P-3C Orion. They were supposed to have attained full operational capability by Sep 2015.



The XP-1 Prototype in Technical Research and Development Institute (TRDI)
 colours at Atsugi Air Base, April 2011. Photo : Wikipaedia



The Kawasaki P1



The Kawasaki P-1 at RIAT 2015, RAF Fairford. Photo : Wikipaedia



The P-1 is unique among all the various modern maritime patrol aircraft as it one of a few that is completely designed from the ground up and not adapted from some bomber or commercial airliner. That means every single part is purpose designed and purpose built. Also, it was originally created for just one customer, the JMSDF, since the post-war Constitution of Japan forbade the export of weapons and weapon systems until very recently. As such, throughout its development and even as it is being deployed in active service, very few outside the defense circles have heard about this mysterious Japanese multi-mission maritime aircraft.


General Characteristics


The P-1 has the appearance and size of a 90 - 100 seat regional jet. It has a length of 38m, height of 12m and a wingspan of 35.4m making it significantly bigger than the P-3C and only marginally smaller than the P-8A which it is frequently compared with. The full complement comprises of 2 flight crew and 11 mission crew. Its maximum take-off weight is 79700kg or 176000lbs. Maximum speed is said to be 996km/h ( 538 knots ) while the cruising speed is 833 km/h ( 450 knots ). The P-1's maximum range is 8000km ( 4320 nm ) and the maximum operational ceiling is 13520m ( 44200 ft ).


Compare and contrast : the Boeing P-8A and the Kawasaki P-1 side by side at
Naval Air Facility Atsugi. USN Photo



Fuselage and Wings


The P-1 has an aerodynamic profile most suited for low speed and low altitude flight. It has a relatively long wing span with the leading edge swept back at 25 degrees but an almost straight trailing edge. A large wing area of  170m² generates more lift, decreases stall speed and increases agility.

Part of the fuselage is made of light weight composite material like carbon fiber.  KHI is responsible for fabricating the horizontal stabilisers, Fuji Heavy Industries the main wings and the vertical stabilisers, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries the mid and rear portions of the fuselage and Sumitomo Precision Products the landing gears.


Power Plant


Unlike its turboprop powered predecessor, the P-1 is powered by four IHI F7-10 high bypass turbofan engines. Japan's IHI Corporation developed the F-7-10 specifically for the P-1, using metal alloys that are corrosion resistant in salt environments. Sound absorbing panels are also used to lower the acoustic signature of the engines, achieving a sound level 5 to 10 dB below the P-3C's Allison T-56-A-14 turboprops. The F7-10 turbofan has a bypass ratio of 8.2:1 and each delivers a maximum thrust of 60kN or 13500lbs. The jet engines enables the P-1 to achieve a greater maximum speed, a higher operating ceiling, a longer range and carry a heavier load compared with the P-3C.


Having four engines instead of two is advantageous for MPAs as they frequently fly over open bodies of water at remote locations where airfields may not be readily available for emergency landings in case of engine failure. In addition, MPAs often have to execute their combat missions at low altitudes where bird strikes can be common. A single engine failure in a twin engine MPA like the P-8A would probably have necessitated a turn around whereas an MPA with four engines could still continue its mission with one engine shutdown. If fact, P-3C jockeys are known to deliberately shut down one or two of the Orion's four turboprop engines when on-station to reduce fuel consumption and increase on-station time. The P-1 with four turbofans could supposedly do the same but it would be suicidal to try that on a P-8A.




The IHI F7-10 Turbofan on the P-1 aircraft number 5506 taken at
 Iwakuni Air Base on 14th Sep 2014. Photo : Wikipedia


Postero-lateral view of the IHI F7-10 on the same aircraft as above. Photo : Wikipaedia 


Frontal view of the IHI F7-10 on the same aircraft as above. Photo : Wikipaedia

In addition, the P-1 has a Honeywell 131-9 Auxiliary Power Unit ( APU ) installed in the fuselage forward of the horizontal stabilizer to avoid interference with the MAD apparatus in the rear.


Avionics


Unlike the mostly analogue instruments of the P-3C, the P-1 has, in common with the Kawasaki C-2 transport, a modern digital " glass cockpit " with 6 large LCD multifunction displays and 2 sets of Head-Up Displays ( HUD ). The cockpit also features huge glass windows reflecting the Japanese emphasis on low altitude visual searches.


The cockpit windows are huge. Seen also are two HUDs and
the multi-function LCD displays. Image : Mainichi Shimbun




External view of the P-1's large windows. Image : Mainichi Shimbun




Flight Control


You have heard of fly-by-wire where flight control of an inherently aerodynamically unstable design is achieved by onboard computers continuously micro-adjusting the control surfaces. The P-1 is a generation ahead, being the first production aircraft to feature " fly-by-light " ( FBL ) where flight control commands are transmitted via optical fibre to the actuators. This decreases the risk of electromagnetic interference with the multitude of electronic sensors onboard. FBL also has the advantage of reducing the weight of the installed wiring and reduce power consumption. The technology had been extensively tested on the UP-3C before being implemented on the P-1.


Radar


The P-1 is equipped with the HPS-106 X-Band Active Electronically Scanned Array ( AESA ) radar system jointly developed by Toshiba and the Technical Research and Development Institute ( TRDI ) of the Japanese Defence Ministry. Consisting of 4 arrays, one mounted in the nose, two side-looking panels below the cockpit area and another in the tail, the HPS-106 has a constant 360 degree coverage. It can be used in multiple modes including surface search, air search, navigational and meteorological, synthetic aperture and inverse synthetic aperture. An inverse synthetic aperture radar ( ISAR ) utilizes the motion of the target to create a high resolution 2D image that can allow for threat identification.


The HPS-106 side-looking array is housed beneath this panel just below the cockpit. Wikipaedia Photo



Electro-Optical / Infrared


The P-1 features the Fujitsu HAQ-2 EO/IR suite mounted on a ball-like turret aft of the nose cone for tracking and examining surface targets. It consists of a Forward Looking Infrared ( FLIR ) device for thermal imaging, night vision and navigation, as well as cameras for capturing images in the visible light and near-infrared spectrum.


The Electro-Optical / FLIR Turret which can be retracted and
stowed within the fuselage when not in use. JMSDF Photo


Magnetic Anomaly Detector


The HSQ-102 magnetic anomaly detector housed in the sting-like MAD boom at the rear of the P-1 is a licence produced version of the Canadian CAE AN/ASQ-508(v) by Mitsubishi Electric. CAE is the world leader in the design, manufacture and integration of MAD systems. They have been designing MAD systems for more than 40 years and had delivered more than 2000 MAD systems to the military worldwide. The AN/ASQ-508(v) is also known as the Advanced Integrated MAD System ( AIMS ) and consists of a highly sensitive magnetometer with associated electronics mounted in the tail area of an aircraft to minimize magnetic interference. It detects the variations in the earth's magnetic field caused by the presence of metallic objects in the vicinity like a submerged submarine. The detection range is in the region of 1200m, meaning the MAD will work best with the aircraft flying at low altitudes and at low speeds, both of which the P-1 excels in. One of the key differences between the P-1 and the P-8 is that the P-8 does not have a MAD system.


Close-up view of the P-1's MAD boom which houses the HSQ-102 MAD system. Photo : Wikipaedia 


The " stinger " or MAD boom places the magnetometer as far away
from the aircraft as possible to minimize self interference.
Photo : Sunburn1979 via Creativecommons


Acoustic System and Sonobuoys


The P-1 can carry 30 pre-loaded sonobuoys and another 60 in racks in the cabin for reloading. The Acoustic Processor HQA-7 is manufactured by NEC. Other components of the acoustic system includes the  HRQ-1 Sonobuoy Receiver, HQH-106 Acoustic Data Recorder and the HAS-107 Sonobuoy Controller.



Sonobuoy launcher can be seen in the under-fuselage in this photo of the P-1 at RIAT 2015.
Wikipaedia Photo.


Sonobuoy Launcher Close-up. Image : Mainichi Shimbun

Sonobuoy rack with capacity for 96 sonobuoys. Image : Mainichi Shimbun

Rotary sonobuoy launcher. Image : Mainichi Shimbun


Acoustic workstation. Image : Mainichi Shimbun



Command and Control


The P-1 has a Combat Command System designated the HYQ-3 by Toshiba which is basically an onboard combat information processor, some sort of artificial intelligence that can assist the mission commander in planning for the best respond to an encountered threat, like delivering the optimal firing solution on an enemy submarine based on the combined information collected by all the plane's sensors and sensors from other friendly platforms nearby.

 

Communications


The P-1 is fitted with the HRC-124 UHF/VHF Radio and the HRC-123 satellite communications equipment made by Mitsubishi Electric.


Tactical Data Link


Equipped with Link 16 compatible MIDS-LVT terminal, the P-1 can share targeting and any other information with similarly equipped aircrafts like the F-15J, P-3C, E-767 AWACS, E-2C AEW, MH-60 naval helicopters, F-35 JSF, and surface vessels like the JMSDF's Aegis destroyers.


IFF


The HPX-105 Identification Friend or Foe system is installed with the two sets of four N-AT-347 IFF antennae mounted in front of the cockpit wind screen and at the under-fuselage area.


4 IFF antennae clearly seen above nose cone. Image : Mainichi Shimbun



Armaments


The P-1 has a total of 8 hard points under its wings which can be used to carry air to surface missiles like the AGM-84 Harpoon, the AGM-65 Maverick and the indigenously developed ASM-1C. These pylons, also known as the BRU-47/A Bomb Release Unit are rated to carry up to 2000lbs of ordnance each.

It also has an internal bomb bay with an additional 8 hard points which can be loaded with bombs, mines, depth charges and light weight torpedoes including the Mk46, the Japanese Type 97 ( G-RX4 ) and the latest Type 12 ( G-RX5 ). Up to 9000kg or 20000lbs of ordnance could be carried.


Weapon pylons ( BRU-47/A bomb release unit ) under the port wing
 and the internal bomb bay whose outline you can see just aft of the front landing gear
( with 3 red-tipped N-AS-331 and 1 yellow-tipped N-AS-330 antennae for the HRQ-1 sonobuoy receiver ).
 Wikipaedia photo.

XP-1 prototype fires AGM-65 Maverick missile in 2012. Photo : TRDI



The Type 97 ( G-RX4 ) 324mm light weight torpedo. Inert version displayed. Photo : Wikipaedia

 

Self-Protection System 


The P-1 is equipped with the Mitsubishi Electric HLQ-9 self-protection suite which includes the missile approach warning system ( MAWS ) and the radar warning receiver ( RWR ), accompanied by the usual dispensers for flare and chaff.


P-1 dispensing flares against heat seeking missiles 18th Oct 2015. Japanese MOD photo.

An Electronic Support Measures ( ESM ) suite, the Mitsubishi Electric HLR-109B is installed. You can see the ESM flaring which is the prominent bulge on top of the fuselage slightly behind the cockpit. The ESM suite detects and classifies enemy radar emissions and gives the P-1 a secondary role as an  Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance ( ISR ) platform.

Close-up of the ESM flaring just above and behind the cockpit windows. Photo : Wikipaedia


Air-to-Air Refueling


All indications seem to point towards the fact that unlike the Boeing P-8A or the Kawasaki C-2 with which it shares some common components, the P-1 does not have a probe or receptacle for accepting fuel transfers midair. It is highly unlikely that the meticulous Japanese designers would have overlooked this feature. Most probably it was intentionally omitted as a cost saving move. Further more, with a range of 8000km, perhaps the JMSDF chose to live without air-to-air refueling.


P-1 Variants


Just like its predecessor the P-3C Orion which had spawned many variants to serve different combat missions, the P-1 can potentially be similarly modified into different hardware configurations :

UP-1 : Utility / multi-purpose aircraft that can be used as a test bed for systems and equipment or in a supportive role as a training platform.

EP-1 : Signals Intelligence ( SIGINT ), Electronic Intelligence ( ELINT ) platform.

OP-1 : Observation / Visual Imaging platform.

AEW :  To replace the ageing E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft. But the US had just approved the sale of four E-2D to Japan last year, so AEW conversion is currently less urgent or likely.

AIRBOSS : As an Advanced InfraRed Ballistic Missile Observation Sensor System platform. Obviously with Dear Leader as one's neighbour, the capability to detect ICBM / IRBM / SLBM launches in a timely manner can be a matter of utmost importance.

In Jun 2015, the first XP-1 prototype number 5501 had been converted to the UP-1 configuration with the aircraft number correspondingly reassigned 9501.



A UP-3C and a P-1 flying in formation. JMSDF Photo

 

Numbers Ordered


Based on Japanese Defence Ministry annual budget reports of the past few years, these are the current number of P-1 ordered and on order.

FY2008  4   units  ¥ 67.9billion
FY2010  1   unit    ¥ 21.1billion
FY2011  3   units  ¥ 54.4billion
FY2013  2   units  ¥ 40.9billion
FY2014  3   units  ¥ 59.4billion
FY2015  20 units  ¥ 350.4billion

Total P-1 ordered so far is 33 aircrafts, excluding the four XP-1 prototypes. The first 13 units from FY2008 to FY2014 are probably the low rate initial production ( LRIP ) tranches. Mass production really starts with FY2015's 20 unit order. All operational P-1s are deployed at Atsugi Air Base in Kanagawa Prefecture.



Exporting the P-1



Japanese weapon systems have traditionally been expensive due to the fact that they cannot be exported and so production runs are relatively small and cater to only the local defense agencies. Economy of scale can hardly be achieved with a such a small captive market. That has changed since last year when Prime Minister Abe tweaked the Constitution, paving the way for future weapon exports. And Kawasaki has been hard at work trying to sell the P-1 overseas.

Among the potential clients was the United Kingdom, a maritime nation whom in 2010 foolishly retired its Nimrod MR2 MPAs and then abruptly cancelled its replacement, the MRA.4 who's development was by then almost near completion, leaving them with absolutely no MPAs. In July 2015, the P-1 made its first overseas public appearance at the Royal International Air Tattoo ( RIAT ) at RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire, England, in an attempt to generate British interest in the aircraft. If successful, the deal could advance defence co-operation between the two countries and could be worth up to one billion dollars. Two aircrafts flew over to Fairford, number 5504 and 5507, one for static display and one for flight demonstration. You can watch and hear the flight demo here. After the airshow the P-1 went on to Djibouti to carry out hot weather tests before returning to Atsugi Air Base. The P-1's appearance at RIAT was well received and brought the exposure and generated the awareness it needed to compete successfully on the international stage. Hopefully we can begin to see the P-1 at more international airshows in the near future. Unfortunately for the Japanese, on 23rd Nov 2015 the UK announced their intention to buy nine P-8A Poseidon as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, without going through any tender or competition.


Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii 7th Feb 2015. Private visit, private flight :
then COMPACFLT Adm Harry B. Harris Jr. walks with JMSDF Cmdr. Kazutaka Sugimoto
 following a flight on a Kawasaki P-1. USN Photo



However, apart from the UK, there are many other navies worldwide that operate the ageing P-3C Orion and they would soon need a replacement. So Kawasaki should in theory have no shortage of potential clients. The main competition would be the Boeing P-8A as they both have very similar capabilities, not surprising as they were intended to be replacements for the same aircraft. Already, Australia, a major P-3C ( AP-3C ) operator has selected the P-8A as its next generation MPA at a cost of A$4 billion for a total of 8 planes with support facilities. So has India, which will operate the P-8I. Still, at an estimated US$250 million per plane, the P-8A is significantly more expensive than the P-1 which costs half as much at $150 million ( based on Japanese MOD figures, FY 2015 acquisition of 20 P-1 at ¥350.4billion ). This would make the P-1 a value buy for current P-3C operators as well as any MPA operator looking to renew their fleet.



P-1 for Singapore?


Why not? The Republic of Singapore Air Force ( RSAF ) currently operates a fleet of 5 Fokker F-50 Enforcer II MPAs. These aircrafts have been in service since 1994 and are close to their end-of-life. Upgrading these MPAs would be challenging as the maker, Dutch aviation company Fokker had gone into receivership in 1996 and is now defunct. RSAF had apparently requested to inspect ex-USN P-3Cs in storage in Dec 2010 which meant it was considering the refurbished Orion as replacement for the F-50. Now, five years on, the P-1 has completed its development and has emerged a viable option since it is technically more advanced than the venerable P-3C and is a whole lot cheaper than the P-8A whose capability it mostly matches.



The Fokker F-50 Enforcer II MPA of RSAF's 121 Squadron. Photo credit on pic.

How much cheaper is it to restore a mothballed P-3C to active duty with modernized avionics and 15000 hours of life extension compared to buying a new build P-1 is anybody's guess, but I'll pick the a P-1 over the P-3 anytime.


P-1 and the State of the Japanese Defence Industry



For the past 70 years, the Japanese defence industry had lead a frustrating existence where restricted by the Constitution, their quality products were procured in anaemic quantities only for the domestic market. This dated, self-imposed restriction had finally been lifted paving the way for major arms export. Already, we are seeing Japanese defence companies participating in international trade shows for the first time.

The Kawasaki P-1 is a highly capable maritime patrol aircraft and a worthy successor to the P-3C. Its success in Japan had probably been guaranteed even before the maiden flight of the first prototype. Currently the planned procurement is for 70 aircrafts to replace 107 P-3C of all variants. Funding for the first 33 P-1 had already been disbursed / approved. The next logical milestone would be to secure export customers so that production volume can be ramped up further and unit cost can come down. Together with the AIP capable Soryu class submarine, and the ShinMaywa US-2 amphibious search and rescue plane, the P-1 maritime patrol aircraft would spearhead the Japanese effort to break into the international arms market. There would hopefully be some successes soon.










































Wednesday 11 March 2015

Who Doesn't Want A$20Billion?


Background


This is an update to my article " Japan's Soryu Class : Collins Replacement Prime Contender ". A quick recap : Australia has a fleet of 6 Collins Class conventional diesel-electric guided missile submarines that needs to be replaced starting from the year 2025. These boats were designed by the Swedish ship builder Kockums AB and built in Australia by a newly formed joint venture the Australian Submarine Corporation. The entire Collins project was riddled with delays and huge cost overruns. Even to this day the submarines still suffer from multiple defects and have serious availability issues.



Digital Image of what Australia's future submarine might look like, as seen on ship builder ASC Pty Ltd's website.



The Royal Australian Navy is looking to replace them with 10 to 12 new submarines by the year 2030 to 2040, at an initially estimated cost of between A$36 to A$44 billion. The ruling Liberal Party came to power promising domestic construction of these future submarines but until recently looks likely to break that promise by buying direct from Japan. That development had prompted German, Swedish and French boat builders to come up with their own unsolicited offers, initiating a submarine bidding war down under, making the Soryu deal less of a certainty.

What's At Stake for Australia


The future of Australia's shipbuilding industry is at stake, as Australia might lose her capability to construct submarines and warships should the contract go to a foreign shipyard there by forcing ship builder ASC to retrench skilled labour or worse, go into receivership. It would be difficult and time consuming to rebuild a new team of professional workers once the existing ones have found work elsewhere.

Jobs could be at stake, as domestic construction at ASC's Adelaide facility could generate and support 3 to 4 thousand jobs.

At least A$20 billion or more is at stake for the winner. This is by far the single most costly defense related procurement by Australia, ever. Even the follow on order of 58 F-35A Joint Strike Fighter announced in April 2014 would "only" cost A$11.5 billion. The Australian Dollar has depreciated significantly in the past 2 or 3 years but is still worth USD0.77 as of today.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott's reputation could be at stake if he reneges on pre-election promises to have the submarines built in Australia, though adept politicians always have ways to wriggle themselves out of such situations.

Gimme Twenty Billion


AUD$20 billion is the magic figure quoted by all the potential submarine makers. Of course everybody wants A$20 billion, who doesn't? SAAB Kockums of Sweden, TKMS of Germany and DCNS of France have all come up with proposals and have indicated their willingness to work with Australia's ASC, giving Japan Inc. a run for their money.

 

SAAB Kockums : The Come Back Kid




Kockums AB of Malmo, Sweden was the original designer of the Collins Class submarines and the Stirling air-independent propulsion engine used in the Soryu Class boats. It was acquired by its German rival Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) in 1999. Then HDW was itself bought by the German conglomerate Thyssen Krupp in 2005 and they all became a big dysfunctional family known as ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems ( TKMS ).

While all these mergers and acquisitions was happening, Kockums was working on the next generation submarine for the Swedish Navy with several innovative and advanced features, the A-26 Class with air-independent propulsion. However, the development of the A-26 was derailed by TKMS due to long standing conflict of interests. The Swedes believed that they have a great design on hand and wanted it developed not just for the Royal Swedish Navy but for worldwide export as well. The German masters of Kockums on the other hand are worried about cost escalation on a risky new project and cannot come into agreement with the Swedish Defense Ministry on how such additional costs should be managed between the two parties. Although 2 boats have been approved the Swedish by Parliament in 2010 for completion by 2020, long drawn contract negotiations between the Defense Ministry and TKMS came to nothing before failing completely in Apr 2014. Without any contracts to build Sweden's ( or anybody's ) next generation submarines, Kockums looked likely to have to lay off marine architects, engineers and technicians. And as Kockums go under,  the Swedish Kingdom looked set to lose its sovereign capability of building submarines and warships.


Kockums A-26. Source : SAAB


Added to this mess is the uncertainty as to who actually owns the intellectual property rights to the Collins design, is it Kockums / TKMS or is it the Swedish State ( through the Swedish Defense Materiels Administration or FMV ). This has resulted in Kockums being overlooked by Australia in its initial search for suitable supplier for the Collins replacement project.

The loss of the deal to supply the Republic of Singapore Navy with 2 new submarines in late 2013 and the Russian annexation of the Crimean Peninsula earlier last year was a rude wake-up call to the Swedes who realized that they had do something fast to reclaim their ship building industry and to safeguard the defense of their Kingdom.

Negotiations to buy Kockums back began between the Swedish defense conglomerate SAAB and TKMS. Things did not move until Sweden seemingly deployed strong arm tactics, including the FMV's raiding of the Kockums / TKMS office with armed military personnel to forcefully remove highly sensitive materials pertaining to the A-26 and Stirling air-independent propulsion engine designs, taking back what rightfully belonged to the Swedish State. SAAB also embarked on a widely publicised exercise that poached the entire technical management team at Kockums including the manager for the submarine division and more than 200 of Kockums' existing pool of engineers, effectively removing its core workforce. Facing such hostile acts, it is not surprising that TKMS threw in the towel shortly after and agreed to sell Kockums to SAAB.

SAAB has since completed the acquisition of Kockums on 2nd Jul 2014 and the new entity is called SAAB Kockums. This paved the way for the stalled and severely delayed A-26 project to move forward and for SAAB to offer a 4000 tonne version to Australia as the Collins replacement submarine. In the words of the CEO Håkan Bushke " ... the Swedish Kingdom now controls the intellectual property for Australia's currently-serving Collins class submarines. If there is an open competition, SAAB Kockums will be in it."

SAAB Kockums in its last minute declaration of interest on the Collins replacement project has also offered to take Australia's shipbuilder ASC and Royal Australian Navy engineers and technicians to work on the Swedish Navy's 3000 tonne A-26 of which five were to be built, with the first boat due to be operational by the year 2023. CEO Bushke said that SAAB's solution will be affordable and will be able to match the $20 billion price tag of its Japanese and German rivals.

Kockum's resurrection from a moribund subsidiary of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems to becoming part of the Swedish defense giant SAAB within the span of a few months is nothing short of spectacular. It would be even more incredible if they could win this submarine bidding war and become the supplier of Australia's future submarines. Being a completely new design, the A-26 offer carried with it unknown risks of cost escalation and timeline slippages. Add to that volatile mix the uncertainty of ASC's competency as a ship builder and the RAN could end up in a very dangerous situation, third time in a row.


ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems : The Old Favourite





TKMS Logo. Source : Wikipedia

TKMS was until Jul 2014 the parent company of Kockums. It used to be the front runner for an evolved-Collins submarine that will see TKMS build on the strengths of the existing Collins Class and rectify known short comings and defects, since the Collins boats were designed with the help of Kockums in the first place.

The main stumbling block for the evolved Collins Class was that the ownership of the intellectual property rights for the Collins submarine as well as the Stirling AIP engine that will be installed in the future submarines, was in dispute as the spat between the Swedish government and TKMS escalated. Australia understandably have no wish to be caught in the crossfires of a patent ownership war and have ultimately looked towards Japan which has a fleet of the world's most advanced non-nuclear submarines, incidentally also using Kockums / TKMS's Stirling air-independent propulsion system.



TKMS Operational Headquarters, Essen, Germany. Wikipedia.

Another deep seated issue was that TKMS has been constantly stifling Kockums all these years after the merger, intending for kockums only to produce small submarines while its German subsidiary HDW will get to build the big submarines for export. It probably was never quite keen for an evolved Collins boat, preferring rather to have a German solution for the Australians. In fact TKMS already had a Collins replacement concept in existence for sometime. It is the HDW Type 216 diesel-electric submarine with air-independent propulsion. Its design is based on the smaller Type 212A and Type 214 submarines current in service with the German and Italian navies, using HDW's proprietary fuel cell AIP system.



HDW's Fuel Cell Air-Independent Propulsion System. Source : TKMS

Now that Kockums had been sold to SAAB, TKMS can no longer be involved in any evolved Collins design. Nonetheless TKMS has still indicated that it can help Australia build her fleet of 10 to 12 next generation submarines domestically and within the budget of A$20 billion, presumably with the HDW Type 216 design.



HDW Type-216 SSK. Source TKMS


The Type 216 looks good on paper, but is again a yet to be built design and with so much uncertainties, nobody, not even TKMS can guarantee that the entire project could be on time and on budget, especially in the hands of an inept shipbuilder like ASC.



DCNS : Non-nuclear SSN?!



The latest to join the fray is the French ship builder DCNS with its SMX-Ocean diesel-electric submarine with air-independent propulsion. First revealed at the Euronaval 2014 exhibition in Paris in October, it is essentially a non-nuclear version of the Barracuda class SSN which DCNS is building for the French Navy. Although DCNS did not officially state that the SMX-Ocean concept was specifically created for the SEA1000 Collins replacement project, we all know what its purpose is. Incidentally DCNS opened a new subsidiary in Australia on 19th Nov 2014, DCNS Australia Pty Ltd, which just shows how badly they wanted a slice of the multi-billion dollar pie.



DCNS's SMX Ocean SSK ( Top ) and Barracuda SSN ( Bottom )

The SMX-Ocean is a huge boat at 4750 tonnes and 100m long. It is powered by conventional diesel-electric power-plants and a second generation air-independent propulsion system. It can carry a load of 34 weapons including torpedoes, mines, cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles and anti-air missiles. It will incorporate vertical launchers, a UUV Dock, SDV, dry dock shelter and lock-out chamber for up to 8 divers.

Its maximum diving depth is 350m. Its new generation fuel cell will enable a underwater endurance of 21 days. Maximum submerged speed is 20 knots while its usual transit speed will be 14 knots. Endurance at sea is up to 90 days with a maximum range of 18000 nautical miles ( 29000Km ) at 10 knots.

If Australia is going to buy into this mad French scheme, she might as well request the US to convert their Virginia-class SSN into SSKs, just pluck out the General Electric S9G reactor and replace it with the Stirling AIP engine and you can have the frequently craved for 100% compatibility in operations with the USN. No?


Kawasaki / Mitsubishi : Caveat Emptor?



Although the option of a modified Soryu Class built in Japan looks like the safest bet for Australia's Collins replacement project so far, skeptics have plenty of arguments against taking such an option.

First, Japan's war time past has come back to haunt her as pointed out that as recent as 70 years ago Japan and Australia were enemies at war with each other. The Japanese have even bombed Darwin in 1942, ahead of a land invasion which fortunately never materialized. And Australia had lost more than 300 ships to the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. To me that is at best a weak case against the Japanese because, well, times have changed. Australian skiers form the largest foreign groups at the Japanese ski resorts of Niseko in Hokkaido and Hakuba in Nagano every winter. Try convincing these Aussies to ski elsewhere. If one does not buy Japanese, then the Germans should also be excluded in the deal because they were part of the Axis powers with Japan and Italy during WWII!

Skeptics are also concerned if Japan will remain a staunch American ally throughout the projected life of the future submarines, and whether Japan's constitution will again be changed to prohibit arms export in the future.

Australia's opposition Labour Party has pre-emptively said that they would cancel any deal with the Japanese should they come into power after the next election.

In response to the flurry of unsolicited offers from the European boat builders, the Japanese have indicated that they too are willing to co-operate with the Australians to help the Aussies develop the special steel required for submarine construction. Assembly will still be done in Japan.

ASC Pty Ltd : Can't Be Trusted To Build A Canoe!!





ASC screwed up the entire Collins project. They then went on to mismanage the upgrade and maintenance programme of the Collins boats. Now the same story is repeating itself with the Hobart-class air warfare destroyers.

Late last year Australia's ex-Defence Minister David Johnston was censured by the Senate after saying he wouldn’t trust would-be contender for Australia’s new submarines, the government-owned ASC, to build a canoe. He later expressed regret that his remarks could have offended anyone, that he had expressed frustration over ASC's past performance in what PM Abbott had described as a rhetoric flourish. He further said that he was directing his remarks at a legacy of issues and not at the workers in ASC, whom he considered world class, eventually putting all blame on the former Labour government for mismanaging the troubled Air Warfare Destroyer programme.

Having barely survived a no-confident vote and in a move to save his own career as the Prime Minister, Tony Abbott had given in to political pressure and had promised that the procurement of the future submarines would be subjected to a "competitive evaluation process" and ASC would be allowed to bid for it. It will not be an open tender, meaning not everybody is welcome to bid, certainly not Dear Leader Kim, or Bloodymir Pootin, or Xi Jinping for that matter. So the Japanese are now not guaranteed to win the Collins replacement deal and they are extremely confused and worried at the moment about Australia's sudden change of heart.

What A$20 Billion Can Buy



Should Australia be spending A$20 billion on a dozen super-sized conventionally powered submarines with air-independent propulsion? Would she be better off buying a larger fleet of smaller submarines while at the same time constructing more submarine bases? Something like the HDW Type-218SG SSK might cost "only" 500 million Euros each. Buying fifteen of these smaller SSKs instead of the Soryu-class or similar to populate five submarine bases will probably save Australia enough money to construct the new submarine bases along the eastern, northern and western coastlines. Tony Abbott can then also sort of keep his electoral promise of local construction. You couldn't pre-fabricate submarine pens in Japan and then ship it over to Australia for assembly, or could you?


Update 26th April 2016


The Race is over. DCNS won the A$50 billion contract with its Shortfin Barracuda, aka SMX Ocean.




Friday 12 September 2014

Japan's Soryu Class Submarine : Collins Replacement Prime Contender


The Collins Class Submarine

 
HMAS Sheean SSG-77 conducting air sea safety assessment with a Seahawk helicopter from HMAS Adelaide off Garden Island, Western Australia. RAN Photo.
 
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) currently has a fleet of 6 Collins class diesel-electric hunter-killer submarines (SSK) in its arsenal. They were designed in collaboration with Kockums AB of Sweden and largely built in New South Wales, Australia, by the then newly formed Australian Submarine Corporation. They are essentially enlarged versions of the original ( non-AIP )Vastergotland class submarine which then served the Royal Swedish Navy. The RAN classifies them as " Guided Missile Submarine, Diesel-Electric " or SSGs, obviously referring to the Sub Harpoon missile launching capability. The are named after distinguished former members of the Australian Navy. They have pennant numbers from SSG-73 to SSG-78.

At 3100 tonnes surfaced and 3400 tonnes submerged, they were then the world's largest modern non-nuclear submarines. Among the first to be totally designed with computer-aided techniques, they were supposed to be highly automated, have long endurances, quiet, fast and pack a powerful punch. From the RAN webpage "Designed to be as quiet as advanced technology can achieve, Collins Class submarines have been developed from five generations of submarines designed and built by the Swedish Navy."

However, the reality was that the entire Collins project was fraught with problems and delays right from day one and even to this day. The Aussies made the fundamental mistake of taking a completely new submarine design and having it built domestically at a new boat yard with no prior history or experience of submarine construction.

First of class HMAS Collins was laid down in 1990 and commissioned in 1996 while the 6th boat HMAS Rankin was laid down in 1995 and commissioned in 2003. Shortly after that in 2005 the boats were to undergo extensive upgrades to the combat control system just to remain operational, although they also gained additional weapons capabilities like the Mk 48 ADCAP torpedoes.

With availability between 0 to 2 boats at any one time in the past few years, the RAN's submarine force only exist on paper. It is no wonder that the planning for the Collins replacement started as early as 2009, barely 6 years after the last boat HMAS Rankin was commissioned.


SSG-78 HMAS Rankin, the newest of the six Collins class SSK. Royal Australian Navy Photo.
 
 

 
 



 
Ship's Crest of all six Collins boats according to seniority from top to bottom. Source : RAN


Australia's SEA1000 Future Submarine Project



Boldly sailing into the sunset? HMAS Waller SSG-75 off the Fremantle coast in preparation for submarine escape and rescue exercise. RAN Photo
 
The SEA1000 Collins replacement project, otherwise known as the コリンズ級潜水艦更新計画 to the Japanese, aims to have the 6 troubled Collins Class conventionally powered submarines replaced by 10 to 12 boats by the year 2030 - 2040. It is expected to cost the Australian Government an estimated A$36 to A$44 billion. The four broad options they have would include :

- Buying military off the shelf designs. Though safest might not meet RAN requirements.
- Buying military off the shelf designs modified to Australian specifications and built in the country of origin. This mitigates some of the risks relating to both the design and the construction.
- Buying military off the shelf designs modified to Australian specifications and built in Australia. Deja vu.
- Commissioning a completely new design solely for the RAN built anywhere. Synonymous with kamikaze.

With the Collins fiasco still fresh in their minds, the Aussies naturally would want to focus on a proven design this time round. To have made the same mistake twice would be really moronic and unforgivable. So the most likely option to be selected would be the modified off the shelf design built elsewhere.

 Like I have mentioned in my previous article, there are not many options when shopping for a submarine as there are only a handful of exporters worldwide. In the past 20 years since the commissioning of HMAS Collins, the submarine's designer Kockums AB had become part of the German ship building conglomerate ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) through a series of mergers and acquisitions. The submarine's builder the Australian Submarine Corporation which initially started out as a joint venture between Kockums AB, the Australian Industry Development Corporation and 2 other private companies was also nationalised and is currently known as ASC Pte Ltd.

TKMS actually has a design that is supposedly catered for Australia's special needs in its subsidiary Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft's (HDW) Type 216 diesel-electric submarine. Although its design is somewhat based on the existing Type 212A used by the German and the Italian navies, the Type 216 is substantially bigger ( 4000 tonnes versus 1800 tonnes ) and has yet to be built. That alone would make it much lass palatable to the Aussies.


Artist's impression of the TKMS HDW Type 216 SSK Source : TKMS

To sum it up, Australia needs a conventional diesel-electric submarine (SSK) with almost the size of a nuclear powered submarine (SSN), this to enable it to have the range and endurance to patrol her vast coastline. Australia also needs it fast, like yesterday. Ok I exaggerate, by 2025 or thereabouts, when the first Collins boat are due to retire, not a lot of lead time by naval procurement timelines actually. Lastly Australia is looking for a proven design, and that sole candidate came from an until recently unexpected source - Japan with her Soryu class ocean going fleet submarine with air-independent propulsion (AIP), quiet, big, lethal, in operation since 2009.

As an added bonus to the Aussies, the Soryu class SSKs have onboard the Sterling AIP engine made by Kockums AB / TKMS so in that sense there would be some continuity with the Collins class should the Soryu be chosen. Japanese? Hey, these guys were building fleet carriers during our grandfather's time.

The History of Submarine Building In Japan

Japan has a long history in submarine construction which started as far back as 1904 when 5 Holland  Class submarines were bought from the United States of America. They were originally built at the Fore River Ship and Engine Company in Quincy, Massachusetts and shipped to Yokohama in knock-down kit form from Seattle. They were assembled at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal (横須賀海軍工廠), then Japan's largest naval shipyard, with the assistance of an American naval architect Arthur Leopold Busch.


The first Japanese submarine of the Holland Class, aka Type 1 Submarine ( 第一型潜水艦 Daiichi Gata Sensuikan ). Photo : Wikipedia
 
That same year, the Kawasaki Dockyard Company or Kawasaki Zosensho (川崎造船所) as it is known in Japanese, purchased modified plans of the Holland Class submarine from the designer John Philip Holland directly and went on to build 2 boats with the help of 2 American engineers who had been Holland's assistants.

The following year, Japan bought 2 British C class submarines from the shipbuilder Vickers, Sons and Maxim and went on to assemble another 3 from kits at the Kure Naval Arsenal, Kure Kaigun Kosho (呉海軍工廠), as it is known in Japanese. By 1909, Japan had launched her first submarine tender ( support / supply ship ) and had built a sizeable fleet of ocean going submarines before World War I had ended.

As one of the Allied victor countries at the end of World War I, Japan not only took control of the numerous German territories in the Southern Pacific like the Caroline Islands ( modern day Micronesia and Palau ) as mandated by the League of Nations, she was also given several captured German submarines as the spoils of war. This greatly accelerated her submarine design and building efforts and by the outbreak of World War II, the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) would have the greatest variety of submarines available for all sorts of mission. From fleet submarines that could cross oceans to transport and supply submarines, mine laying submarines, even aircraft carrying monsters like the 6500 tonne I-400, midget submarines that are designed to infiltrate naval bases and harbours and eventually to suicide submarines like the Kaitens towards the end of the War.


Kaiten Type 1 human torpedo displayed at the Yasukuni War Memorial Museum in Tokyo. Kaiten (回天) literally means return to heaven but the name actually originated from an older man-of-war of the Edo era, a wooden steamer known as the Kaiten Maru (回天丸). Photo : Wikipedia 
  
The I-400 sea plane carrier submarine. Note the aft deck gun and the crane for lifting the Aichi M6A Seiran seaplane (see below). Photo : Wikipedia
  
The Aichi M6A1 Seiran (晴嵐) seaplane. The I-400 can carry 3 of these seaplanes internally. One of the M6A actually carried out a bombing raid on continental US, attempting to start a forest fire in Oregon by dropping incendiary bombs. Photo : Wikipedia
 
Following her defeat in World War II, the naval yards in Sasebo, Kure and Yokosuka were either converted to commercial entities or became facilities to support and maintain the ships of the US Navy and the newly formed Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF), also known as the Kaijojieitai (海上自衛隊) in Japanese. There was a lapse of more than ten years where Japan did not build any submarines. That changed in 1957 when the first generation Oyashio (おやしお) class submarine was constructed by the Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Kobe based on the old IJN I-200 design and some US innovations.

 
SS-511 JDS Oyashio ( first generation ) : The first post war Japanese built submarine. Source : Wikipedia
 
Since then, there had been several successive generations of diesel-electric submarines constructed by Japan, including the Oshio class (1963), the Arashio class (1964), the Uzushio class (1968), the Yushio class (1976), the Harushio class (1987), the new generation Oyashio class (1994) and of course the latest Soryu class (2005) with air-independent propulsion.



The new generation Oyashio Class SSK currently in service with the JMSDF. Photo : JMSDF



The new generation Oyashio Class SSK performing the emergency main ballast blow maneuver. Photo : JMSDF 


The Soryu Class SSK

The Soryu class submarine is the latest generation of conventionally powered hunter killer submarine with air-independent propulsion built for the JMSDF. It has a displacement of 2900 tonnes surfaced and 4200 tonnes submerged, the largest displacement of any submarine used by post war Japan. Although all previous generations of JMSDF submarines have been named after ocean currents ( 潮 shio in Japanese means current ), the Soryu class breaks away from this half a century old tradition by being named after auspicious mythical creatures, some of which might include the dragon, the phoenix, the pheasant and the kirin. In this case, the entire class is named after dragons (竜 ryu).

SS-501 Soryu ( そうりゅう, in kanji 蒼竜 ) Blue Dragon
SS-502 Unryu ( うんりゅう, in kanji 雲竜 ) Cloud Dragon
SS-503 Hakuryu ( はくりゅう, in kanji 白竜) White Dragon
SS-504 Kenryu ( けんりゅう, in kanji 剣竜) Sword Dragon
SS-505 Zuiryu ( ずいりゅう, in kanji 瑞竜) Auspicious Dragon
SS-506 Kokuryu ( こくりゅう, in kanji 黒竜) Black Dragon
SS-507 Jinryu ( じんりゅう, in kanji 仁竜) Humane Dragon
SS-508 Sekiryu ( せきりゅう, in kanji 赤竜 ) Red Dragon  ( named on 2nd Nov 2015 )

SS-509 is under construction and yet to be named. SS-510 and SS-511 are planned. Now I am no naval historian or ship naming expert but if I were to hazard a guess, likely names for these future boats may include Shoryu (翔竜) Flying Dragon, same pronunciation but in different kanji character, Shoryu (祥竜) Blessed Dragon, Hiryu (飛竜) Soaring Dragon, Tenryu (天竜) Heavenly Dragon, Kairyu (海竜) Sea Dragon.

Update 7th Jan 2017 - SS-509 had been launched on 12th Oct 2016 and is named the Seiryu ( せいりゅう, in kanji 清瀧, after 清瀧権現 Seiryugongen, the guardian goddess of a Kyoto temple ). The character 清 means clear but could also mean pure. So Pure Dragon be it. Note that 竜 and 龍 both mean dragon and could be pronounced as ryu. With three additional dots used to denote something to do with water, 瀧 could mean water dragon but is much more commonly used in everyday life to mean a waterfall ( 瀧 or 滝 pronounced taki ). Confused? Nevermind, that's Japanese for you.

Update 8th Nov 2017 - SS-510 had been launched on 6th Nov at KHI's Kobe facilities. It was named Shoryu, blessed dragon. Shoryu is expected to enter service with the JMSDF in 2019.

Note that the name Soryu had previously been used on 2 predecessors, including the World War II Imperial Japanese Navy fleet carrier the IJN Soryu, which took part in the Pearl Harbour Raid in Dec 1941 and was sunk during the Battle of Midway in Jun 1942.


The Soryu Class SSK underway. It has a conning tower with a shape resembling that of the Virginia Class SSN, minus the hydroplanes. JMSDF Photo.


Third of class SS-503 JDS Hakuryu arriving at Joint Base Pearl Harbour - Hickam, Hawaii for RIMPAC exercises.
Photo : USN / Wikipedia
 
Soryu Class Characteristics

Length : 84m
Beam : 9.1m
Draught : 8.5m
Displacement : 2900 Tonnes Surfaced
                         4200 Tonnes Submerged
Propulsion : 2 x Kawasaki 12V 25/25 SB-type diesel engines
                    4 x Kawasaki Kockums V4-275R Stirling engines ( air-independent propulsion )
                    producing 3900hp surfaced and 8000hp submerged

Speed : 13 knots Surfaced
             20 knots Submerged

Range : Unpublished but estimated at 6100 nautical miles at 6.5knots with AIP

Operational Depth : Unpublished but estimated at 500m.

Complement : 65 ( 9 officers 56 enlisted )

Radar : ZPS-6F Navigation / Surface Search Radar

Sensors : Hughs/Oki ZQQ-7B Sonar Suite with
               1x Bow Array
               4x Low Frequency Flank Array       
               1x Towed Array

Countermeasures :

ZLR-3-6 electronic support measures (ESM) system
2x 3 inch Underwater Countermeasure Launcher Tubes for acoustic device countermeasures (ADCs).                      
Torpedo Countermeasure System (TCM) for SS-508 and later

Communications :

X-band High Speed Satellite Communications Device for SS-507 and later

Armament :

6 HU-606 21 inch ( 533mm ) torpedo tubes with 30 reloads for the following
     
Boeing UGM-84C Submarine Launched Harpoon SSM
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Type-89 Heavy Weight Torpedo
Mines

Construction :

Kawasaki Ship Building Industries, Kobe (川崎造船 神戸工場)
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Kobe (三菱重工業 神戸造船所)


SS-502 JDS Unryu being launched. JMSDF Photo.
The Soryu Class SSK in ceremonial light-up. JMSDF Photo. 


Soryu Class : A Formidable Naval Deterrence

The Soryu Class submarine is the world's largest submarine equipped with air-independent propulsion, and it has been in serial production since 2005, in other words, a well proven design. This represents a tremendous leap in capability for the JMSDF as they never had such AIP capable boats before. Collaborating with Kockums AB to licence produce the Stirling AIP engine was a smart move that allowed immediate access to a relatively risk-free proven technology. Kockum's proprietary Stirling Engine is a silent and vibration-free external combustion engine that had already been installed on the Gotland Class SSK and was also later retrofitted on the older Swedish Navy Vastergotland Class and Singapore Navy Archer Class SSK. The air independent propulsion system drastically reduces the need for frequent battery charging with the air breathing diesel generator which requires the submarine to be either surfaced or in snorkeling mode. It effectively increases the submerged endurance of the submarine and makes its detection much more difficult.

Its large displacement translates to having an extremely long range of close to 11000km, exactly what the JMSDF needs to patrol the vast open ocean between the Ryukyu Island Chain ( Okinawa ) and mainland Japan. For littoral operations, like patrolling the shallow Seto Inland Sea, the Soryu is fitted with an X rudder to provide high manoeuvrability to the submarine when operating very close to the seabed. This X rudder configuration was initially developed by Kockums for the Swedish A-19 Gotland Class SSK.



The X Rudder of SS-505 JDS Zuiryu seen clearly in this JMSDF photo.


Close-up view of the X rudder. Photo : Wikipedia


The quietness of the air-independent propulsion and the advanced sonar suite would allow the Soryu to stalk Chinese ballistic missile boats and SSKs with relative ease.

They are armed with Japan's Type 89 torpedo which is wire-guided with both active and passive acoustic homing modes and has very similar characteristics as the USN's Mk 48 ADCAP ( Advanced Capability ) heavyweight torpedo. With a diameter of 533mm, a length of 6.25m and a weight of 1760kg, this torpedo has a 267Kg High Explosive warhead. The effective range is said to be 27 nautical miles (nm) at 40 knots (kts) or 21 nm at 55 kts. The maximum speed is in the range of 70 kts and the operational depth is up to 900m.

These very same torpedo tubes can also launch the Boeing UGM-84L Harpoon Block II all weather, over the horizon, submarine launched anti-ship missile which also has a land attack capability. So the Block II Harpoon is essentially a cruise missile in disguise. It has a range of 124km and will post a serious threat to any Chinese or North Korean surface ship or land installations. It is guided by a GPS/INS unit and also has active radar terminal homing. The Block IIs being available to the USN since 1998, I am assuming that Japan has already either bought the newer version or had already upgraded her Block I Harpoons to Block II standard by now. South Korean certainly had!

The only glaring deficiency of the Soryu Class is the lack of Tomahawk tactical cruise missile launching capability. This is most likely a self-imposed limitation as the Post War Constitution forbids Japan from arming herself with offensive weapons.


RGM-84 the surface launched version of the Harpoon anti-ship missile being fired from the decks of the USN Arleigh Burke Class destroyer USS John S.McCain ( DDG-56). USN Photo

The First Post War Major Weapon System Export?

The 1947 Japanese Constitution is most famous for its renunciation for the right to wage war contained in Article 9. Its recent reinterpretation by the Abe government also allowed an easing of the self imposed blanket ban for arms export which had been enforced since 1976. It made possible the July 2014 agreement between Japan and Australia to partner on marine hydrodynamics ahead of a replacement for the Collins-class boats which quickly morphed into what might become an outright buy of 10 to 12 submarines from Japan.  If this export deal is realized, it would the first and most significant post war foreign military sales by Japan and is said to be worth about 20 billion dollars, hard cash which Japan desperately needs for rebuilding after the Tohoku earthquake and reforming to cater to a rapidly ageing population. It would also be a devastating blow to the Australian ship building industry who in my opinion really deserves losing the deal.

Although the Abbott government had previously said that the Collins replacements would be domestically built, consistent poor performance by the state-owned ASC on not only the entire Collins project and its subsequent upgrade works but also on the current Hobart Class air warfare destroyer project which is suffering from delays and huge cost overruns ( A$600 million over budget and 3 years late ), makes it much easier for them to justify an outright purchase from Japan.

Also, to have the Soryu built in Australia would incur a much higher cost, with some estimates at AS80 billion, almost double the original estimate of A$36 to A$44 billion. As Prime Minister Tony Abbott puts it, "The most important thing is to get the best and most capable submarines at a reasonable price to the Australian taxpayer". It would be really tragic if all that money is paid and the RAN gets another 12 Collins II instead. With the quest for precision and quality being almost a national obsession, you can be assured that anything that is made in Japan is nothing short of perfection. The Soryu Class will be no different. The Japanese worker takes tremendous pride in his work. The Aussies shall not regret that decision should Tony Abbott make that announcement by year end.

But all is not lost for the ASC. With the projected savings from buying directly rather than building domestically, there may be plans to fast track the Australian ship building industry by getting ASC to build new "super" frigates using the hull design of the 6500 tonne Hobart Class destroyer. ASC will likely get service and maintenance contract for the upkeep of the new boats.

The extra money saved could also be used to fund further purchase of the F-35 joint strike fighter which the Australian government had already pledged to buy. Another likely development could be the creation of a new submarine base, possibly at HMAS Coonawara in Darwin, New Territories, though I really do not know how *. With 12 boats projected, the current submarine base at HMAS Stirling in Perth, Western Australia will be swarmed. Having a northern base in Darwin will greatly reduce the transit time to the area of operations in South East Asia and the Australian East Coast.


Aerial view of HMAS Coonawara. Darwin City's CBD can bee seen in the background 2km away. RAN Photo.
* HMAS Coonawara is currently a small naval base supporting 8 Armidale Class patrol boats, within walkable distance of Darwin's central business district and close to the famous Doctor's Gully fish feeding attraction. The seabed will have to be dredged, the Larrakeyah Barracks and the marina next door will possibly have to be relocated to make way for the submarine pens.

Possible Modifications of the Soryu for SEA 1000

The operating range of the Collins Class SSK is in the region of 11830 nm (21000km) at a speed of 10.5 kts while that of the Soryu Class is about 6100 nm at 6.5 kts. The Aussies will likely want a bigger boat with longer range. The magnitude of increase may well be determined by whether a new submarine base is going to be built in Darwin.

The Aussies will also want "inter-operability" with their greatest ally the US Navy. So sensors and weaponry will have to be as identical as possible. The Type 89 torpedoes may have to give way to Mk 48 ADCAPs which the Americans use and which the RAN already has a stockpile of.


A Mark 48 ADCAP heavyweight torpedo being offloaded from the Los Angeles Class nuclear attack submarine USS Oklahoma SSN-723. USN Photo.
 
The ability to fire torpedo tube launched (TTL) Tomahawk Block IV cruise missiles on the Collins replacement could also be a likely modification. Unlike the Los Angeles Class Flight II boats and the follow-on improved Los Angeles Class boats which all have a 12 tube vertical launch system (VLS) for launching Tomahawk cruise missiles, the Soryu Class lacks such a capability. It would be expensive to integrate a VLS into a mature design if not technically difficult. Fortunately the TTL version exist and is currently used on the Royal Navy's Astute Class SSN.


Model of the Tomahawk Block IV tactical cruise missile. USN Photo.



Vertical Launch System (VLS) in the fore section of the Los Angeles Class nuclear attack submarine USS Santa Fe (SSN-763) Photo : USN
 
 
Final Words

The Collins project and the resulting 6 boats are a blemish to the proud reputation of Australian Navy and a disgrace to the entire ship building industry of Australia. It is a sad chapter in the long and illustrious history of the RAN that is best forgotten. The Australians should learn from their numerous mistakes committed in the past 2 decades and simply move on to the next chapter without making the same mistakes again. 12 boats sound like a huge fleet but I assure you it is not. Australia is Big, and the surrounding seas even BIGGER.

To Tony, please buy from the Japs, because if anything were to go wrong this time, it will be their problem, not yours.

To Abe the travelling salesman, you have done the sales pitch, please deliver well when the first order arrives, hopefully by Christmas. And may there be many more new orders for you to fulfill in the future.