Not long ago, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States announced the establishment of a regional alliance in the Asia-Pacific region, and they are obviously aiming to build an Asia-Pacific version of NATO. But the countries smell the same and don't seem to have much on the surface, and the most worrying thing is that the United States has publicly promised to provide Australia with the capability and technology to build nuclear submarines. Originally, Australia and the French signed a contract for the construction of the Scorpene-class conventional power submarine in 2017, and as a result, after Australia and the United States reached an agreement, they immediately tore up the big order with a total value of 66 billion US dollars, directly making the French angry.
(Moby Dick under construction)
After this incident, many Southeast Asian countries immediately expressed their dissatisfaction with Australia's possession of nuclear submarines, believing that this move is likely to cause the collapse of the regional order, at the same time, Japan and South Korea, the two small american countries, also openly stated that the United States should not be "eccentric", which means that they believe that since the Americans can provide Australia with the technology to build nuclear submarines, they should also provide it to Japan and South Korea.
Before the words could be heard, a new 3,000-ton conventionally powered submarine of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force was launched at the Kobe Shipyard of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, at which the Japanese Ministry of Defense officially announced the naming of the conventionally powered submarine "Moby Dick" (once again following the name of the old Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II).
(Launched on October 14, 2021 of the Great Whale class No. 2 beluga submarine (SS-514))
This conventionally powered submarine is the second of the Great Whale class submarines of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, with a length of 84 meters, The width of 9.1 meters, underwater displacement reached 3000 tons, is designed on the basis of the famous Soryu class conventional power submarine, at the same time, it is also one of the largest conventional power submarines in the world, this submarine in the material selection and shape design, a certain degree of consideration for underwater stealth, in addition to the lithium-ion battery to extend the submarine time, can ensure that in the case of 4 to 5 knots of speed, underwater diving time of at least 3 weeks. In terms of weapons systems, the submarine can carry six 533 mm torpedo tubes that launch Type 18 torpedoes and the launcher of Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and has improved its detection capabilities with the ZPS-6H search radar and the ZQQ-8 integrated sonar system.
(Big Whale submarine)
In this regard, some experts believe that this conventionally powered submarine actually has only one nuclear reactor left behind the gap with nuclear submarines. Since the 1960s, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force has introduced a new submarine on average every six years or so, and the average service time of each submarine is only 16 years, which is very rare among any maritime armed force in the world, even if it is a world-class naval power such as China, the United States and Russia.
(Soryu-class submarine)
So with Japan's nuclear capabilities today, can they quickly build nuclear submarines in a short period of time? The answer is that their capabilities are not bad, but it is basically impossible to build nuclear weapons and submarines with rapid deployment and combat capabilities.
At present, Japan's nuclear power plants, no matter what kind, use all commercial-grade deep-burning plutonium-240, which is no problem in generating electricity, but it is almost difficult to build weapons. If an atomic bomb is needed, Japan needs a plutonium-239 abundance of more than 93 percent, but the light water reactors of Japan's nuclear power plants can only reach a maximum abundance of about 65 percent even after separation and purification, which is impossible to build nuclear weapons.
(Fukushima nuclear power plant explosion)
Judging from the current situation, even if Japan is completely free from the restrictions of the pacifist constitution, it is quite difficult to build a nuclear submarine that can be used in actual combat, and a mature nuclear reactor for the boat alone is enough for them to drink a pot. Moreover, even if the Japanese had a boat reactor, the miniaturization and underwater ignition of submarine-launched missiles, and the control of the missile's effluent attitude were all mountains in front of Japan. Compared with Japan's self-developed nuclear submarines, their conversion of the "Epsilon" carrier rocket into ballistic missiles is more reliable than this, but then again, Japan's ambitions to expand its military so arrogantly cannot be underestimated. (Text/Akula)