Soon, made-in-Subic 'personal submarines'

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – The ultra-expensive, cutting-edge and state-of-the-art “personal submarine,” hailed as the new status symbol, comes to the Philippines as Japan-based firm Amuza Co. Ltd. announced plans to manufacture the sleek sub at this freeport, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) administrator Armand Arreza said.

The personal submarine, intended for recreational use, is like a super luxury toy for the rich, Arreza said.

The two-seater personal submarine weighs four tons and is about the size of a typical car – two meters wide, four and a half meters long, and two meters high.

It is powered with a lithium-ion battery, which Amuza currently develops, and on a full charge of 10 hours, it can navigate up to 50 nautical miles (about 90 kilometers) and dive up to 150 meters deep. Underwater, the vessel’s speed tops five knots.

What’s more, the personal submarine could be maneuvered to perform stunts like an aircraft, Amuza mechanical technologist Keisuke Imada said, in tune with their concept to make the submarine more mobile unlike the traditional sub.

“This is the most acrobatic submarine in the world,” said Imada.

Arreza said Amuza, a manufacturer of world-class limousines, has partnered with a business locator here that specializes in fiberglass and composite materials construction, to manufacture the personal submarines.

Amuza conducted a successful sea trial of its private submarine prototype here recently and the firm is interested in manufacturing personal submarines locally, Arreza said.  

Amuza chief executive officer Kiyotaka Miyagawa said the firm has so far spent about $1.7 million for the prototype tested recently.

He added that Amuza wants to produce 10 units of the submarine by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Imada said buyers of the submarine must first secure a license from a pilot training station they are planning to set up at the Subic Bay Freeport.

Imada, who served time in Japan’s navy, said he is very familiar with the Subic Bay Freeport and sees it as a perfect venue for sea trials and the training school.

Initially, the firm plans to invest $5 million for the training school, which will employ 50 to 100 divers, mechanics and helpers, he said.

“Subic Bay’s proximity to Japan, its preferable environmental factors, coupled with a workforce possessing excellent maritime capabilities, make it an ideal site for this venture,” said Imada.