Summary and Key Points: The U.S. Navy has maintained its submarine dominance since the introduction of the USS Nautilus (SSN-571) in the mid-1950s, the first operational nuclear-powered submarine.
-Over the years, the Navy has developed advanced submarines, including the Los Angeles-class, Virginia-class, Columbia-class, Ohio-class, and Seawolf-class.
-Each class offers unique capabilities, from fast attack and ballistic missile submarines to guided missile boats and special operations platforms.
-These submarines have played a crucial role in maintaining U.S. naval superiority and ensuring national security.
The U.S. Navy’s dominance in the submarine arena can be traced back to the mid-1950s with the introduction of the USS Nautilus (SSN-571). As the first ever operational nuclear-powered submarine to ever sail the seas, the Nautilus was already a legendary vessel simply for existing. However, within a few years, the American ship would break yet another record, becoming the first submarine to complete a submerged transit of the North Pole. In terms of military-related innovations, the United States has continued to develop more advanced submarines equipped with new technologies since the introduction of the Nautilus. The five greatest American-made sub series to sail the seas are arguably the Los Angeles-class, Virginia-class, Columbia-class, Ohio-class, and Seawolf-class ships.
Today, over half the U.S. Navy’s fast attack fleet is filled by Los Angeles-class submarines. First introduced during the Cold War as the 688-class, these ships were designed to counter the Soviet Union’s advancements in submarine technologies. Specifically, the U.S. Navy needed a submarine fleet capable of keeping up with carrier battle groups to help protect them from the Soviet’s fast attack subs.
The Los Angeles vessels were developed to be 50 percent larger than their predecessors and to be faster and more stealthy as well. Armament-wise, the Los Angeles submarines are extremely lethal to enemy submarines and even land-based targets. Each ship in this class features twenty-five torpedo tube-launched weapons in addition to the Mark 60 and Mark 67 CAPTOR mines they can carry. Additionally, the Los Angeles subs can launch a wide arrangement of cruise missiles including Harpoons and Tomahawks.
Following the fall of the USSR, the U.S. government established its 1994 Nuclear Posture Review. This treaty outlined that the United States only needed fourteen ballistic missile submarines in light of the end of the Cold War. To abide by the treaty, the service transitioned four of its ballistic missile submarines into guided missile boats. While these Ohio-class submarines appear similar to their submarine-launched ballistic missile counterparts, they can carry a total of 154 tomahawk missiles instead of twenty Trident Is. The Ohio ships can also house a platoon of special operation forces and their equipment.
The U.S. Navy introduced its Seawolf-class ships initially to replace its existing fleet of Los Angeles submarines. While the service originally planned to construct twenty-nine of these new vessels, only three were built before the program was nixed due to the hefty costs associated with the submarines.
These very large submarines were equipped to carry as many as fifty Tomahawk cruise missiles, including both the land-attack and anti-ship variant of the weapon.
The U.S. Navy’s Virginia-class submarines are widely considered to be some of the most formidable ships to ever traverse the oceans. As the first American warships designed using 3D visualization technology such as CATIA, these submarines have been cutting-edge from the beginning. The Navy uses its Virginia fleet to project power ashore with lethal weapons and carry out intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions to support battle group operations and even engage in mine warfare. Over the years, several enhancements were incorporated to the Virginia-class ships.
The Block V iteration is the latest Virginia-class series. The upcoming ships will be capable of performing seabed warfare capabilities via its new Virginia Payload Module (VPM). This addition will also extend the submarine’s payload capabilities as an 84-foot-long section will be included to accommodate four new vertical launch tubes.
The newest submarine series being developed for the U.S. Navy is the Columbia-class. While these upcoming nuclear-powered ballistic missile subs are expected to serve as the backbone of America’s nuclear deterrent arsenal when introduced, delays and high costs are hindering the Columbia-class’s entry to service.
According to Naval Technology, the Columbia ships will feature X-shaped stern control surfaces in addition to sail-mounted dive planes. In terms of armaments, each Columbia submarine will be able to carry sixteen missile tubes for launching sixteen Trident II D5 submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.
All images are Creative Commons.
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