Poster submarine Uzushio class

The Uzushio class consisted of seven Japanese submarines in service from 1972 to the mid-1990s during the Cold War. They were the first generation of teardrop-type submarines of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, optimized for underwater performance. They featured a teardrop-shaped hull and double-hull construction of NS-63 steel, allowing for an increased diving depth of 200 meters.

These submarines were 72 meters long, 9.9 meters wide, and had a draft of 7.5 meters. When submerged, their displacement reached 3,600 tons. Powered by two Kawasaki-MAN diesel engines and two electric motors, they could reach a speed of 12 knots on the surface and 20 knots when submerged. An emergency blow-off system and 3D automatic steering allowed them to surface quickly and maintain their course underwater.

Armament-wise, they were equipped with Type 89 torpedoes launched from six 533 mm tubes located at the center of the ship. Their detection capabilities included sonars at the front, including a ZPS-4 surface search sonar and passive and active sonars to detect underwater targets. Several of these submarines were converted into training units towards the end of their service.