Australia CEP contenders - Japan's KHI

Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI's), Kobe, Japan shipyard.
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(Map on KHI's Kobe shipyard)
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Submarine Matters follows a philosophy of not favouring any one of the 3 contenders in the CEP. There are weaknesses and strengths in all 3 bids. 

It is important to get more acquainted with the 3 contenders. This will be done in four articles (one per week). There will be an article each for DCNS and TKMS and 2 (KHI and MHI) in the Japanese bid. There are actually three partners in the Japanese bid which may make things potentially complicated. Within the Japanese bid are:

- the Japanese Ministry of Defence (JMoD or just MOD) important in what has been described as a government-to-government bid

-  Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) described as the leader of the bid, and

-  Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) (and within KHI its subsidiary Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation (KSC)). KHI is much more than a sub-contractor or supplier as it assembles Soryus itself every second year.

KAWASAKI HEAVY INDUSTRIES (KHI)

KHI is the parent company of a group of more 100 affiliates and subsidiaries in Japan and overseas. KHI builds aircraft, helicopters, rockets, satellites, vehicles, factories, huge fixed generators, replacement engines of all types and other equipment.

Subsidiary KSC builds commercial vessels, including oil tankers, bulk, LNG and LPG carriers, container ships, jetfoils. KSC also builds warships for the Japanese Navy including submarines along with essential submarine components like snorkels, propellers and diesels.

KHI has 35, 471 employees (2015) and net sales of 1.49 Trillion Yen in (Fiscal year ended March 31, 2015). That is equivalent to A$189 Billion (by my reckoning!).

KHI works very closely with MHI on design, testing and supplying submarines parts to each other. Both companies build their submarines at Kobe. Perhaps each builds whole sections then transports by barge or rail(?) the sections to the other's Kobe submarine yard?

Note that since the Hayashio/Natsushio class in the 1960s KHI has assembled/launched every second Japanese submarine. This permanent arrangement is evident in the latest Soryu class - see "Built By" in the SORYU TABLE below.

SORYU TABLE (with earlier Oyashios, as at March 2, 2016)

SS No.	Building No.	Pennant No.	MoF approved amount ¥ Billions & FY	LABs, LIBs, AIP	Laid Down	Laun -ched	Commi-ssioned	Built By
5SS Oyashio	8105	SS-590/ TS3608	¥52.2B FY1993	LABs only	Jan 1994	Oct 1996	Mar 1998	KHI
6SS-15SS Oyashios 10 subs	8106 -8115	SS-591-600	¥52.2B per sub FY1994-FY2003	LABs only	Feb 1994		Mar 2008	MHI & KHI
16SS Soryu Mark 1	8116	SS-501	¥60B FY2004	LABs + AIP	Mar 2005	Dec 2007	Mar 2009	MHI
17SS	8117	SS-502	¥58.7B FY2005	LABs + AIP	Mar 2006	Oct 2008	Mar 2010	KHI
18SS	8118	SS-503	¥56.2 FY2006	LABs + AIP	Feb 2007	Oct 2009	Mar 2011	MHI
19SS	8119	SS-504	¥53B FY2007	LABs + AIP	Mar 2008	Nov 2010	Mar 2012	KHI
20SS	8120	SS-505	¥51B FY2008	LABs + AIP	Mar 2009	Oct 2011	Mar 2013	MHI
No 21SS			No 21SS built
22SS	8121	SS-506	¥52.8B FY2010	LABs + AIP	Jan 2011	Oct 2013	Mar 2015	KHI
23SS	8122	SS-507	¥54.6B FY2011	LABs + AIP	Feb 2012	Oct 2014	Mar 2016	MHI
24SS	8123	SS-508	¥54.7B FY2012	LABs + AIP	Mar 2013	Nov 2015	Mar 2017	KHI
25SS	8124	SS-509	¥53.1B FY2013	LABs + AIP	Oct 2013	Nov 2016	Mar 2018	MHI
26SS	8125	SS-510	¥51.7B FY2014	LABs + AIP	?	?	Mar 2019	KHI
27SS Soryu Mark 2	8126	SS-511	¥64.3B FY2015	LIBs only	?	?	Mar 2020	MHI
28SS	8127	SS-512	¥63.6B FY2016	LIBs only	?	?	Mar 2021	KHI
29SS	?	?	1st of New Japanese  Class	LIBs only	?	?	2023?	MHI?
Aus1	?	?	1st of new Aus class (if Japan chosen)	LIBs only	2027?	2029?	2032?	in Aus or Jpn?
Aus2 to 12?	?	?	between 5 and 11 additional Aus subs	LIBs only	from 2029?	from 2031?	from 2033?	in Aus or Jpn?

Table courtesy of updates provided to Submarine Matters. LABs = lead-acid batteries, 

AIP = air independent propulsion, LIBs = lithium-ion batteries.  
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A selection of important components KHI builds for submarines includes:

New Diesels - KHI developed four-stroke diesel engines for surface ships with some assistance from  MAN Diesel & Turbo. However, the Soryu submarine's 2 x Kawasaki 12V/25/25 SB diesels are sufficiently modified to be considered original Kawasaki products. This uniqueness is a security  advantage over European companies (MTU-Germany and MAN-France) that might be tempted to share submarine diesel technology with China (a much bigger and attractive customer than Australia). The KHI 12V/25/25 SB will need to be heavily modified into a new engine to be compatible with the faster running demands of Lithium-ion Batteries on Soryu Mark 2s, from 27SS onwards. 

New Snorkel System - this is an integrated system of snorkel and diesel generation capable of operating very quickly and in storms (in the Southern Ocean and tropics). This means that during storms a submarine will not have to "go deep" below the weather (while its batteries run down) or surface indiscretely. It can remain at more discrete snorting depth. 

Not a KHI propeller but a 7 blade propeller used for new Kilo submarines.

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Propellers - KHI also makes propellers. One type is the Kawasaki Controllable Pitch Propeller – Benefits include "low vibration, low noise, high efficiency and excellent cavitation performance. It also makes it easy to control speed and quickly bring a vessel to a standstill without reversing the engine while delivering enhanced manoeuvrability  as well as safety.”

KHI is committed to building submarine components and assembling every second Soryu even though KHI makes no profit in submarines. KHI sees submarines as an important part of doing business with the Japanese Government. KHI realises this is part of the framework within which it can sell more profitable defence products to the Japanese government including surface ships, aircraft, helicopters, rockets, satellites, replacement engines of all types and other equipment. 

The Japanese Government will also appreciate KHI's efforts in helping to make Japan's first major defence sale (to Australia) possible. That is - if Japan is chosen.

Pete