Submarine Frequently Asked Questions

[thedrifter]

Submarine Frequently Asked Questions

INTRODUCTION

All of the warfighting submarines the United States Navy currently operates are large and powerful nuclear-powered vessels of two types: attack submarines and fleet ballistic missile submarines called "Boomers." Many of these submarines are longer than a football field. Great Britain, France, China, and Russia operate nuclear-powered submarines. These and many other countries also operate small numbers of diesel or conventionally-powered submarines. In all, 43 countries operate over 600 submarines. The country with the largest number of submarines is Russia.

The answers to the questions below are based upon the practices common to the U.S. Navy’s nuclear-powered submarine fleet. Other countries’ equipment and procedures may differ substantially. Some procedures or equipment referenced in a particular question are explained within other questions. A good overview of submarine life, therefore, may be best obtained by reading all of these questions.

QUESTIONS
What is unusual about serving on a submarine?

A submarine is among the most technologically advanced machines ever built. The combination of computer technology, precision navigation, atmosphere regeneration, sensitive sonar equipment, sound quieting, nuclear power, and precision weapons make for a most unusual environment. Imagine working and living in a 300-foot long, 30-foot wide, three-story building with no windows and surrounded by technology. Then lock the doors, submerge beneath the surface of the ocean and travel silently underwater for months. This requires a tremendous amount of skill, knowledge, personal discipline, and teamwork. Over one hundred crewmembers work and live together for months at a time to defend their country and protect U.S. interests around the world.
How big is a submarine?

The U.S. Navy has two principal classes of submarines: attack submarines and fleet ballistic missile submarines. Attack submarines, which seek out and attack enemy ships and submarines, are smaller and faster than missile submarines. Most U.S. fast attack submarines are of the USS Los Angeles class. They are 362 feet long-just longer than the length of a football field-and 33 feet wide. They displace almost 6,900 tons on the surface and 7,200 tons when they are submerged. U.S. fleet ballistic missile submarines of the USS Ohio class (a.k.a., Trident submarines, referring to the type of missile which they carry) are 560 feet long (almost the length of two football fields, a few feet longer than the Washington Monument). They have a beam of 42 feet and displace almost 17,000 tons on the surface and 18,750 tons when submerged.
What is the difference between attack (SSN) and fleet ballistic missile (SSBN) submarines?

Attack submarines (designated SSN and commonly called fast attacks) are designed to pursue and attack enemy submarines and surface ships using torpedoes. They also carry cruise missiles with conventional high-explosive warheads to attack enemy shore facilities. Fast attack submarines launched cruise missiles against targets in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm and targets in Serbia during the conflict in Kosovo. They also conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, mine laying and support special operations.

Fleet ballistic missile submarines (designated as "SSBNs") carry long-range nuclear warhead missiles. They roam the ocean avoiding contact with other submarines and surface ships. The ability of the fleet ballistic missile submarine to survive a nuclear attack against the United States made them the most credible nuclear deterrent during the Cold War. Fortunately, the threat of nuclear retaliation that U.S. missile submarines have represented continues to be an effective deterrent in preventing nuclear missile attacks on the U.S. 4. How many missiles and warheads are on a fleet ballistic missile submarine? A U.S. Navy fleet ballistic missile submarine carries 24 Trident ballistic missiles. Each missile carries several nuclear Multiple Independently-targetable Re-entry Vehicles (MIRVs).

to continue reading
www.navy.mil/navydata/cno/n87/faq.html

Ellie

[crate78]

For a real eye-opener, read the book, "Blind Man's Bluff". I can't recall the author, and our daughter has the book in DC.

It's a chronology of submarine intelligence gathering during the Cold War, one huge game of "cat and mouse" with the USSR.

An example is, the Soviets had laid a telephone cable across the Sea of Okhotsk for simpler communication between a sub base on the Sredennyj Hrebet Peninsula and Moscow. The U.S. subs actually put a wiretap on the telephone cable. It monitored the phone lines by induction, so no wires were cut. The U.S. had recorders that would run for six months at a time, so every six months a sub would sneak into the Sea of Okhotsk and switch recorders. These subs carried self-destruct charges in case of emminent capture. No one would be taken alive.

Soviet subs routinely patrolled 1200 miles off the east coast of the U.S. On one occasion, a U.S. sub tailed a Soviet sub for 47 days without being detected, with both subs submerged the entire time, coming just close enough to the surface nightly to raise radio antennae to report in.

Submarine duty was voluntary, and the book describes how one crew member of the "Scorpion" stopped on the dock and for no known reason refused to board the sub on what would be it's final, fatal voyage.

The book is not without poignant moments. One was when the U.S.S. Glomar Explorer failed in an attempt to recover intact a sunken Soviet sub. A portion of the sub was recovered and was found to contain six sets of human remains. They were buried at sea with full military honors, including memorial sevices in both English and Russian, and with both the U.S. and Soveit national anthems played. The entire service was filmed. Years later, after the USSR collapsed, the film was played for families of the Soviet sub's crew. The families were both astounded and openly moved to see someone they had considered arch enemies for years treating their dead with such respect.

Enemies they may have been, but submariners on both sides were compassionate when their counterparts were in trouble.

After the USSR collapsed, a senior Soviet Admiral said it all when a young American "spook" said something that rankled him. The Admiral turned to his interpreter and, speaking of the Cold War, said, "Tell that young man that when a situation like this is over, you don't ask who won, you ask who survived".

All in all, a good read.

crate

[yellowwing]

God rest the crew of the Scorpion. I've met a few "Bubble Heads", hard men worthy of respect. :thumbup: