Since its invention, the submarine has been an integral part of naval defense. Without it, countries would be vulnerable to both conventional and nuclear attack when defending their harbors and coastlines. Over the years, submarines have grown more sophisticated; they can now remain submerged for weeks before running out of battery power. This was unheard of in WW2-era submarines which had a typical battery life of 12 hours at most.Â
Captains must deal with many unique challenges that surface vessels do not face every day. One of these challenges is being able to communicate effectively with other units under the water without creating too much noise which would reveal their position to enemy forces on the surface or air (sub operational safety).Â
The word submarine can evoke a sense of both fear and excitement. It conjures images of sinister, metallic giants lurking beneath the surface of the water, ready to unleash their wrath on unsuspecting prey. On the other hand, it speaks just as powerfully to those who revel in underwater exploration and discovery while pursuing adventure personified.Â
Taking a look back at history is always an insightful endeavor, but when you do so with submarines in mind you will find that it has been a long ride indeed since those early days where humans were still struggling to understand what these modern marvels could or couldn't do. As time progressed, they were fitted for war and used during times of conflict to destroy enemies from afar without risking life or limb. There have been many developments in submarine technology over time, but there are also some problems with submarines still today. We'll cover these as well!Â
The first major development in submarine history was when Simon Lake created his first working prototype of a boat that could travel underwater back in 1900. This led to an industry boom for military submarines, and it became a race between countries to develop their own fleet of military subs. Many countries would create their own designs for subs and hold them as classified information from one another to prevent hostile nations from learning how their boats work so they won't be able to sink them during battles at sea.Â
It's easy to say that all subs are the same, but there are many designs and factors that make each submarine unique. This is different from other naval ships such as destroyers or frigates as these will have similar characteristics however there will be many differences in hull design, armament, and other issues.Â
There are two main categories of subs that we'll be discussing: SSKs & SSBNs. These are the subs that can dive very deep under water and stay submerged for extended periods of time. The US Navy has 10 SSKs in service today, however this number is expected to drop to zero within the next 10 years according to the current situation of nuclear subs being retired.Â
The US Navy currently has 15 SSBNs in service for a total of 25 nuclear subs in service. The SSBNs were part of the Cold War era as they were designed to carry the largest amounts of strategic nuclear missiles. These subs are very expensive to build and maintain, and it's common for many of these boats to be replaced over time due to high maintenance costs, as well as old technology being replaced with newer technology that allows for better efficiency, etc.
