TOKYO, March 11. /TASS/. The delivery ceremony for the newest diesel-electric attack submarine, the Taigei (Long Whale), to the Japanese Navy took place at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard in the port city of Kobe, the Kyodo news agency reported.

This is the fifth submarine of this type to enter service, and it will be equipped with Type 12 cruise missiles with a range of over 1,000 km.

The new submarine has a displacement of 3,000 tons and a length of 84 meters. The Taigei submarine runs on a new type of lithium-ion battery, which purportedly allows it to run more quietly and remain submerged continuously. Its crew consists of about 70 servicemen.

According to Kyodo, the submarine is currently armed with torpedoes and high-precision Harpoon anti-ship missiles. The question of equipping it with cruise missiles has already been decided. In the future, such submarines may be equipped with missiles with high-speed glide vehicles, which will increase the range to 2,000 km.