U.S. Navy

Submarines

From the coal-fired USS Holland to the nuclear-powered leviathans of the Virginia-class and Columbia-class, explore more than a century of American undersea dominance. Trace the evolution from diesel-electric fleet boats that choked off Japan's lifelines in World War II to today's stealth-driven fast attacks and ballistic missile submarines that form the silent backbone of the U.S. strategic deterrent.

World War II 1941 – 1945

SS-212 – SS-284

Fleet Submarines

Armed with ten 21-inch torpedo tubes, Gato boats sank more Japanese tonnage than any other submarine class — strangling supply lines and turning the Pacific war beneath the surface. Read more

Explore Collection

SS-285 – SS-416

Fleet Submarines

Built with high-tensile steel that pushed test depth to 400 feet, the Balao-class picked up where the Gatos left off — accounting for the heaviest concentration of enemy sinkings in the war's final two years. Read more

Explore Collection

SS-417 – SS-525

Fleet Submarines

The final fleet boat design of WWII, most Tench boats arrived too late to see combat but became the backbone of the Cold War submarine fleet through the GUPPY modernization program. Read more

Explore Collection

Cold War — Diesel 1946 – 1959

SS-563 – SS-568

Attack Submarines

First post-war submarine design incorporating German Type XXI technology — faster, quieter, and deeper-diving than anything the U.S. Navy had fielded before. Read more

Explore Collection

SS-580 – SS-582

Attack Submarines

The last diesel-electric combat submarines ever built by the United States Navy. Their Albacore-derived teardrop hull became the template for every American submarine that followed. Read more

Explore Collection

Cold War — Nuclear Attack 1954 – 1975

Nuclear Submarine

"Underway on nuclear power." The first nuclear-powered submarine in history. In 1958 she made the first submerged transit of the North Pole, signaling USS NAUTILUS — NINETY NORTH. Read more

Explore Collection

SSN-578 – SSN-584

Nuclear Attack Submarines

First production nuclear submarines and first to surface through Arctic ice at the North Pole. Proved nuclear boats could operate under the polar cap — a critical Cold War advantage. Read more

Explore Collection

SSN-585 – SSN-592

Nuclear Attack Submarines

First class to marry nuclear power with the revolutionary Albacore teardrop hull. The fastest submarines in the U.S. fleet for over a decade — their speed records remained classified for years. Read more

Explore Collection

SSN-593 – SSN-615

Thresher / Permit-Class

Nuclear Attack Submarines

Designed for deep-ocean ASW with the bow-mounted BQQ-2 sonar. USS Thresher was lost April 10, 1963 during deep-dive testing — 129 souls — triggering the SUBSAFE program that still governs submarine construction today. Read more

Explore Collection

SSN-637 – SSN-687

Nuclear Attack Submarines

The workhorse of Cold War undersea espionage. Sturgeon boats conducted the most sensitive intelligence missions of the era — trailing Soviet boomers, tapping undersea cables, and operating under the Arctic ice for months at a time. Read more

Explore Collection

Cold War — Ballistic Missile 1959 – 1967

SSBN-598 – SSBN-602

George Washington-Class

Ballistic Missile Submarines

America's first ballistic missile submarines. Each carried 16 Polaris A-1 missiles capable of striking the Soviet homeland from beneath the ocean — creating the undersea leg of the nuclear triad overnight. Read more

Explore Collection

SSBN-608 – SSBN-611

Ethan Allen-Class

Ballistic Missile Submarines

The first SSBNs designed from the keel up as missile boats. Ethan Allen herself conducted the only complete test of a U.S. nuclear weapon delivered by submarine-launched ballistic missile — Operation Frigate Bird, 1962. Read more

Explore Collection

SSBN-616 – SSBN-625

Lafayette-Class

Ballistic Missile Submarines

Part of the "41 for Freedom" fleet that held Soviet cities at risk around the clock. Larger and quieter than their predecessors, they carried the deterrent mission through the most dangerous years of the Cold War. Read more

Explore Collection

SSBN-627 – SSBN-636

James Madison-Class

Ballistic Missile Submarines

Upgraded Lafayettes built to carry the Poseidon C-3 missile with multiple independently-targetable reentry vehicles — MIRVs — multiplying the number of warheads each boat could deliver by a factor of ten. Read more

Explore Collection

SSBN-640 – SSBN-659

Benjamin Franklin-Class

Ballistic Missile Submarines

The final boats of the 41 for Freedom program. Quieter machinery and improved electronics made them the most survivable boomers of their generation. Several were later retrofitted with Trident I C-4 missiles. Read more

Explore Collection

Late Cold War 1976 – 1997

SSN-688 – SSN-773

Los Angeles-Class

Nuclear Attack Submarines

The most numerous nuclear submarine class ever built. For three decades, 688s were the Navy's primary fast attack platform — hunting Soviet subs, launching Tomahawks in Desert Storm, and conducting special operations from the Arctic to the Persian Gulf. Read more

Explore Collection

SSBN-726 – SSBN-743

Ballistic Missile / Guided-Missile Submarines

The largest submarines ever constructed by the United States. Each boomer carries 20 Trident II D-5 missiles — a single boat can hold an entire nation's worth of targets at risk. Four have been converted to guided-missile submarines carrying 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles each. Read more

Explore Collection

Modern Era 1997 – Present

SSN-21 – SSN-23

Nuclear Attack Submarines

The most capable and expensive attack submarines ever built. Designed to hunt Soviet Typhoon and Akula-class boats in deep water, only three were completed before costs forced a pivot to Virginia. USS Jimmy Carter carries a classified ocean interface hull section for special missions. Read more

Explore Collection

Nuclear Attack Submarines

The current-production fast attack submarine, designed from day one for both blue-water dominance and littoral warfare. Block V boats add the Virginia Payload Module — an 84-foot hull section carrying 28 additional Tomahawk missiles — tripling strike capacity. Read more

Explore Collection

Ballistic Missile Submarines

The Ohio replacement. Columbia-class boats will carry the sea-based nuclear deterrent through 2085, featuring a life-of-ship reactor that never needs refueling and the most advanced stealth technology ever put to sea. USS District of Columbia is under construction now. Read more

Explore Collection

20

Classes

411+

Submarines Built

122

Years of Service

3

Triad Generations