Kobe, October 15, 2008 - Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation today held a ceremony marking the launch of the submarine Unryu, which was built for Ministry of Defense (MOD) at the No.1 Building Berth of Kobe Shipyard. The ceremony was attended by a delegation of top MOD officials.

The 84m long submarine is the second Soryu class submarine, and the 24th built by Kawasaki Shipbuilding after World War II. It has superior submerged operations and propulsion performance. Other features include high tensile steel on the hull, a Stirling engine for increased underwater endurance, a variety of automated systems, improved surveillance capabilities using high- performance sonar, increased stealth capabilities and enhanced safety measures.