Natsushio-class submarine

Class overview
Name: Natsushio
Builders:
Operators:  Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
Preceded by: Hayashio-class submarine
Built: 1961–1963
In commission: 1963–1980
Planned: 2
Completed: 2
Retired: 2
General characteristics
Type: Coastal (Hunter-killer) Submarine
Displacement: 790 long tons (803 t) surfaced
Length: 61 m (200 ft 2 in)
Beam: 6.5 m (21 ft 4 in)
Draft: 4.1 m (13 ft 5 in)
Depth: 6.4 m (21 ft 0 in)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph) surfaced
  • 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) submerged
Complement: 40
Armament: 3 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes

The Natsushio-class submarines were significantly smaller than the next generation Japanese submarines, the Ōshio, and the Natsushio-class submarines were the development of the Hayashio-class submarines. Also, Natsushio-class is one of the (coast-defence) hunter-killer submarine (SSK) of JMSDF. Construction of the two subs in the class was approved under the First Defense Buildup Program 1958-1960. However, the MSDF brass did not welcome the small submarines. Ongoing maneuvering regarding defense spending by the Ministry of Finance did not help matters. At the time, the Maritime Staff Office was trying to move the MSDF away from being a predominantly Green-water navy (due to politics and budgetary issues this would not begin to happen until the 1980s). Small coastal SSKs like the Natsushio did not fit into such plans for the future. Therefore, neither further examples nor a successor class were built.


Boats

Project no. Building no. Pennant no. Name Laid down Launched Commissioned Note
S116 8703 SS-523 Natsushio (なつしお) 5 December 1961 18 September 1962 29 June 1963 Decommissioned 20 March 1978, scrapped
8704 SS-524 Fuyushio (ふゆしお) 6 December 1961 14 December 1962 17 September 1963 Decommissioned 10 June 1980, scrapped

Submarines of comparable era and role

See also



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