Japan has commissioned one of the most advanced conventional submarines in the world, with the Raigei the latest in a class of hunter-killer vessels designed to operate in the relatively shallow seas around the country.
The diesel-electric Raigei – or Thunder Whale – was completed at Kawasaki Heavy Industry’s shipyards in Kobe and is the fourth vessel in the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force’s (MSDF) Taigei class of submarines.
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