Large scale model of the 16SS SSK, the X rudder will be adopted for the first time in a Japanese submarine.

The 16SS uses the Swedish Sterling Air Independent Propulsion System(licensed produced by Kawasaki Heavy Industries), the submarine itself will be built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Max submerged speed will be around 20 knots, the average for a SSK.

The plan is to commission the first of the class by 2008(may have been knocked back), orginally it was speculated that the first hull would be launched in the third quarter of 2007, although I haven't heard anything regarding that event yet(keep in mind though, the Japanese really don't give much PR to naval projects, at least on a international scale).

They will probably build around 5 or 6, the JMSDF is gunning for a fleet of around 15~16 SSK's. The Japanese have an incredibly fast turn around rate compared to international standards when it comes to her submarine fleet.

In terms of size, it's only slightly longer and wider than the Oyashio class, although the draught will be quite a bit more. Crew size will be around 60~65.

It will have 6 533mm. hydraulic pressure RAM torpedo tubes, for the Type 89 heavyweight torpedo(roughly equivalent to the Mk48 ADCAP), and the UGM-84 Harpoon missile. I'm guessing the load out will be around 20~22 torpedos, which is somewhat the Japanese average for their SSK's.

The hull mounted sonar system will be the ZQQ-7(which I take it as probably only a modest improvement of the Oyashio's solid ZQQ-6 system), along with flank arrays and a towed sonar system. Thales is reportedly helping out in some of the periscope and mast designs. Other than that, most of the subsystems, including the integrated combat system, are of Japanese design.

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