Submarines do not have any windows to allow the crew to see outside underwater. The Navy has one special purpose research submarine, NR1, that has a viewing window and special underwater cameras, but most submarines need to be close enough to the surface to look through the periscope. This is called "periscope depth" or "comms depth" (for "communications depth") where the submarine runs just below the surface and can raise its periscope, communication/navigation antennas, or snorkel mast above the water's surface. Submariners use the periscope to look outside to make sure any nearby ships are at a safe distance and to avoid detection from hostile ships or aircraft. If a hostile ship or plane is seen in the area, the submarine will go to a deeper depth to keep from being found. In time of conflict, the periscope can be used to get potential target information about a ship before an attack or to gather visual information without the target knowing it's being watched. Most of the time, submarines at sea cruise at deeper depths to avoid detection.

A long time for nuclear-powered submarines. Nuclear-powered submarines are designed and manned to stay underwater long enough to support a wide variety of missions, which can last for several months. Because submarines have equipment to make oxygen and keep the air safe, food for the crew is the only limitation on submergence time for a submarine in peacetime. Normally, submarines carry a 90-day supply of food. Another limitation could be spare parts or, in time of conflict, weapons.

Historically, diesel-powered submarines (of which there are none currently in the U.S. Navy) operated engines on the surface or below the surface by using a snorkel mast. When completely under the surface, a diesel-powered submarine uses battery power and electric motors. Depending on attained speed and battery use, the submarine could stay underwater for up to several days before surfacing to recharge batteries and exchange stale air for fresh air.

Submarines are painted black to help them hide. It is essential for submarines to hide while doing their job. The black color has proven to best help the submarine hide in the ocean.

Yes. Advanced sonar systems are designed to listen for man-made noises from other ships and submarines, but they can also hear the natural sounds of the ocean including whales, porpoises, and shrimp. Skilled sonar technicians become proficient at identifying sea life, which they call "biologics."

U.S. Navy submarines can submerge in excess of 800 feet. The actual depth is classified, but it is less than the deep diving U.S. Navy-supported civilian research submarines that explore the bottom of the ocean.

Crew size varies depending upon the type and class of submarines concerned, but a typical U.S. Navy submarine crew consists of 14 Officers, 18 Chief Petty Officers (senior enlisted men), and 109 other enlisted men. A submarine will sometimes go to sea for short periods with fewer crewmen than this because there are crew members on scheduled leave or at shore training facilities.

On U.S. Navy submarines, living quarters consist of bunkrooms-called "berthing areas"-that provide no more than 15 square feet of space per man for sleep and personal belongings. On most submarines each crewman's bed-called a "berth" or "rack"-has a reading light, a ventilation duct, an earphone jack for the ship's audio entertainment system, and a curtain to provide a small (but welcome) measure of privacy. The crewmen store their clothing and personal belongings in a sturdy pan-like locker beneath his mattress. When a U.S. Navy submarine is operating normally at sea, lights in berthing areas are dimmed. About one third of the crew is asleep all of the time because the submarines operate 24 hours a day and the crew works in shifts. Only the captain and executive officer of the submarine have private rooms, called "staterooms," in which to work and sleep. Finally, under some circumstances, crewmen may sleep in the submarine's torpedo room.

On most U.S. Navy submarines, there is only one washing machine and only one dryer. Crewmen must cooperate so everyone has an opportunity to launder their clothing. Generally, each enlisted man in the crew does his own laundry during the period set aside each week for the division in which he works. An enlisted man will be assigned to do the laundry for commissioned officers, for the executive officer (the submarine's second-in-command), and for the submarine's captain. Personal cleanliness is essential in the cramped environment of a submarine. The submarine's washer uses less water than a washer used at home because the fresh water supply on a submarine is limited.

Today, women have only been on submarines for short durations as civilian technicians for specialized equipment testing. Family members periodically go to sea on submarines for one day "dependent cruises," and female midshipmen have made two-day orientation cruises. Women are not assigned to submarine crews because of the very limited habitability and privacy onboard a submarine.

Letters and packages mailed to submarines while they are at sea are forwarded to the next port they are scheduled to visit. The crew is always very excited when there is a "mail call" during an overseas deployment.

With today's technology, submarines can send and receive e-mail while in port and under limited conditions while at sea. The Navy is working to expand e-mail connectivity without compromising submarine stealth.

The crew on a submarine gets air two ways: bringing it in from the outside while on the surface or making it from seawater. When submerged just below the surface of the water, a submarine can raise what is called a "snorkel mast" (like a swimmer snorkeling) and pull air into the submarine. When a submarine is deep underwater it has machines that make air from seawater by distilling it, and breaking the distilled water into its constituent elements of oxygen and hydrogen through electrolysis. The hydrogen is discharged overboard, and the oxygen replenishes the atmosphere. These machines keep the air mixture much like the air you breathe on land and can regenerate the atmosphere indefinitely. These air systems are closely monitored to ensure that the crew has a healthy environment in which to live. Carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere using specialized machines called "scrubbers."

Submarines use specialized radios and antennae that can be used to communicate with shore bases and other ships, either directly or through a satellite. Submariners can use their specialized radios either to talk or send written messages to other ships and shore stations.

With submarine sonar, the weather, water temperature, fish activity, and other natural conditions affect how sound travels through water. A submarine can hear a loud ship hundreds of miles away. Most of the time, a submarine can hear ships 5 to 25 miles away.

Sonar (SOund NAvigation Ranging) gives our submarines "eyes." Sonar is used primarily to detect other ships and submarines. There are two types of sonar: active and passive. When using active sonar, a submarine transmits a pulse of sound into the water and listens for how long it takes to bounce off another ship or submarine. This gives information about that ship or submarine's direction and range. Unfortunately, if a submarine uses active sonar, all the other ships and submarines in the area would know where the submarine is too. Since the strongest advantage that submarines enjoy is stealth (other ships don't know where they are), most submarines rarely use active sonar. Passive sonar only listens for the sounds coming from other ships and submarines. When a submarine uses passive sonar, it is able to obtain information about other ships and submarines without revealing its own position. Like detectives examining a crime scene, skilled sonar operators can determine such things as ship speed, number of propellers and even the exact kind of ship just by listening to the sounds coming from the ships.

Active sonar makes sounds much like the "pings" you've probably heard on TV shows and in movies. (Click here to listen to a sample of active sonar) Submarines usually don't use "active" sonar. Instead, they use "passive" sonar. Passive sonar listens only and puts no noise in the water.

Sonar is unlikely to have much effect on marine life. Active sonar is like the echo locator used by some deep diving whales to hunt for prey. Passive sonar has no effect on marine life.

Submarines can carry torpedoes, cruise missiles, and mines for use in time of conflict. Ballistic missile submarines carry long range ballistic missiles. Torpedoes can be used against an enemy ship or submarine. Ballistic missiles can be used against land targets thousands of miles away from the ocean and are used as a deterrent (to keep other countries from using ballistic missiles against the U.S.). Cruise missiles provide a precision strike capability and can be used against land or ship targets several hundred miles from the submarine. Mines can be laid without the submarine being seen. These mines remain hidden in the water inside an enemy harbor or shipping channel and can sink an enemy ship.

U.S. nuclear-powered submarines can go faster than 25 knots, which is approximately 29 miles per hour or 46 kilometers per hour. Nuclear power enables submarines to maintain these speeds for as long as needed, giving our submarines the capability to go anywhere in the world relatively quickly.

Submarines store their waste until their operations allow them to unload it, either in port, to be disposed with similar waste from shore, or into the ocean while far out at sea following procedures set forth in international law. Today, the U.S. submarine force is taking steps such as use of improved packaging to dramatically reduce the waste discharged at sea. In addition, submarines are installing systems to turn food waste into biodegradable pulp that can safely be disposed of overboard. Plastic material is compressed and stored onboard the submarine until the ship returns to port, where the material is recycled or disposed of properly.

A submarine is among the most technologically advanced machines ever built, more than a skyscraper or even a space shuttle. The combination of computer technology, 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, surrounded by all the highest technology. Then, lock the doors for weeks or months, submerge beneath the surface of an ocean, and travel silently underwater. This requires an unequaled amount of skill, knowledge, and teamwork. Over one hundred crewmembers work and live together to defend their country and protect U.S. interests around the world. Tremendous pride and satisfaction over doing a tough job well, help submariners face these tough conditions. Please see question number 7 for more information on the crew.

It depends on how big the waves are on the surface. During normal weather conditions, a submerged submarine will not rock with the motion of the waves on the surface. In fact, during moderate storms the submarine stays perfectly level at its submerged depth while the waves crash above. In extremely violent storms like hurricanes and cyclones, wave motion can reach 400 feet below the surface. Though not as violent as on the surface, these monster waves can cause a submarine to take 5 to 10 degree rolls.

When in port, the crew wears normal Navy uniforms. When we go out to sea we wear blue coveralls that we call "poopy suits." They are very comfortable to wear and allow us to bring fewer clothes with us to sea because we are limited in the amount of space that we have to store things. On most ships the crew wears sneakers when out at sea; sound quieting and stealth are always foremost in a submariner's mind.

Safety is a nuclear submarine's top priority. Submariners make sure to do the necessary things to safely operate the nuclear propulsion plant. The submarine is designed and operated to ensure that the crew, the public, and the environment are protected from the risks of radiation. The ship is designed with "shielding" around the reactor to reduce radiation levels. Radiation levels are very low, so much so that a submariner gets less radiation at sea than a person on a beach receiving radiation from the sun and other natural background radiation sources. Each crewman wears a dosimeter, a device that measures levels of exposure to radiation, at all times. Each man's dosimeter is checked periodically; the Navy knows exactly how much radiation each man has been exposed to.

The reactor uses fuel containing uranium, which is a radioactive metal. The reactor generates heat by a process called fission. Fission occurs when the uranium atom splits. Special equipment captures the heat produced. The heat that is generated by the reactor is then used to heat water and make steam, which turns the submarine's main engines and electrical generators, just like most surface ships' engines have been doing for decades using oil-fired boilers.

The submarines that we have built during the past several years have reactors that will last for the life of the ship, which is approximately 33 years, so the ship won't need to refuel. This keeps the U.S. Navy's submarines operational and in the front lines defending the country.

Most U.S. Navy submarines have two escape routes-called "trunks"-that can be used to escape if needed. They work like an "air lock" that you may have seen in a movie. The men get into the trunk and shut the door, wearing a special life preserver that has a hood on it to provide a bubble of air to breathe. Then the trunk is filled with water, the trunk's outside door opens, and the men float to the surface.

Not usually. The challenging pace of life aboard a submarine keeps its crew very busy with the demands of the assigned mission, drills, and watches. The crew easily becomes accustomed to the tight spaces because there is very little time to think about it during their very busy days. Submarine living conditions build strong fellowship, and crewmen adapt quickly to conditions.

Submarine Navigators and Quartermasters use normal navigational charts just like any other ship, but probably pay closer attention to the depth of water than most ships. Submarines have a computer that knows how fast the ship is going and in what direction. This computer can also sense when the submarine turns; the Quartermaster gives a position and the computer keeps track of where the ship is going. Submarines also have an antenna that can receive signals from Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites.

The training is highly technical to prepare the crewmembers to operate, maintain, and repair the equipment on board . Some people are trained to run the nuclear reactor, some to use the sonar, but everyone has to learn how the ship works to be a "qualified" submariner. The jobs needed to safely operate a submarine include sonar technicians, electronic system maintenance and operations technicians, torpedo technicians, machinery/diesel operators, cooks, and supply specialists. Basic shore-based training teaches submariners fundamental skills before they are assigned to the submarine, but each crewmember continues to learn and gain more expertise after they are assigned aboard the submarine. As sailors gain operational experience they receive advanced training in equipment maintenance, trouble shooting, and advanced operational techniques. Training continues throughout a career to keep pace with technological developments.

If you join the Navy, you have to volunteer to serve in the submarine force. No matter if you are an officer or enlisted, there are several tests that you have to take to get into the submarine force. These tests are challenging, but you can pass them if you put your mind to it and work hard. The Navy will take care of the rest by sending you to the schools that you need to get your specialized training, then, before you know it, you'll be walking aboard a submarine.

The crew is divided into different groups depending upon their job. There are cooks, mechanics, torpedo men, electricians, electronics technicians, sonarmen, navigation technicians and lots of other types of jobs that you can do. Each group of enlisted men has an officer in charge, and a senior enlisted man, usually a chief petty officer.

The average age of a Commanding Officer is between 38-42.

Depending upon whether it is a fast attack submarine or a fleet ballistic missile submarine, a submarine is capable of performing many kinds of important missions:

Sea Control (denying the ocean to hostile naval forces through anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare)

Anti-Submarine Warfare (detecting and destroying hostile submarines)

Anti-Surface Warfare (detecting and destroying hostile surface ships)

Strategic Deterrence (launching retaliatory strikes against any nation attacking the United States with nuclear weapons)

Landing Special Operations Forces (performing covert infiltration of hostile regions by commando forces)

Search and Rescue (rescuing aviators shot down over the ocean or special operations forces stranded near the ocean)

Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (listening for hostile electronic communications and information)

Sea Control (denying the ocean to hostile naval forces)

Battle Group Support (providing intelligence and undersea protection for aircraft carriers and their escort ships)

Mine Warfare (laying minefields to deny ocean areas to hostile forces)

Cruise Missile Strike Capability (striking ground-based inland targets with conventional-warhead cruise missiles)

Transportation of personnel and cargo (covertly moving critical forces and supplies).

Submarines from other countries support their country's national defense the same way U.S. submarines protect ours.

The United States uses a forward presence defense, deploying its forces overseas. Diesel submarines travel too slowly to cover wide areas of ocean and respond rapidly to crises around the world.

Attack submarines traditionally were named after fish and ballistic missile submarines for famous figures in American history. In recent times, attack submarines have been given names of cities, and ballistic missile submarines have received the names of states. The newest classes of fast attack submarines are named for states, famous Americans, and earlier classes of submarines.

Fast attack submarines (designated as "SSNs" by the U.S. Navy) 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, among other types of classified 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 deterrent during the Cold War. The fleet ballistic missile submarines could be ordered to retaliate by launching their Trident missiles. 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.

A U.S. Navy fleet ballistic missile submarine carries 24 Trident ballistic missiles. Each missile carries nuclear Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicles (MIRVs).

Submarines visit a wide variety of ports in foreign nations. Submarines have visited such ports as Toulon, France; Halifax, Canada; Portsmouth, England; Haifa, Israel; Perth, Australia; Yokosuka and Sasebo, Japan; Singapore; and Chinhae, Korea during the last several years.

A submarine's "tear drop" hull design allows it to slice cleanly through the ocean when there is water on all sides. When a "tear drop" hull submarine is on the surface, the water and the air mix together and create turbulent conditions like walking through a gusty rain storm. The hulls of older submarines, like the World War II vessels and the first nuclear-powered submarine, USS Nautilus, were designed with narrow bows to move faster on the surface than they did underwater.

World War II submarines were powered by diesel engines on the surface and electric motors when submerged. They could not go faster than 10 knots underwater for more than one hour, and they could not normally stay underwater for more than one day at a time. They carried diesel fuel for less than 90 days. They were not designed to dive deeper than about 300 feet. Today's nuclear submarines can go faster than 25 knots, dive deeper than 800 feet and stay underwater for more than 90 days before they need more food.

Submarines are always deployed in the oceans around the world, and with their nuclear reactors and great speed are often the first ships on station when a crisis develops. Fast attack submarines also travel with U.S. aircraft carriers and their escorts to protect them from enemy submarines or ships. Submarines can also be a silent detection post, listening for enemy communications, allowing us to learn much about enemy plans and capabilities. They can launch Tomahawk cruise missiles very accurately into enemy territory or quietly deliver a small reconnaissance team to a beach close by.

Admiral Hyman G. Rickover was a very strong and effective manager and engineer. He had the "radical" idea to bring nuclear power to submarines. This Captain Nemo-like idea turned out to be a revolutionary point in the U.S. submarine history. Nuclear power enables submarines to operate underwater continually. Older submarines operated underwater using a large battery and electric motors to turn the submarine's propeller. The battery had to be recharged at least once a day. This meant that the submarine needed to come to the surface and run a very loud diesel-powered electric generator. Submarines are very vulnerable to attack when on the surface. While being very loud, it is difficult to hear anything. If the "eyes" of our submarine, the SONAR system, are useless while we run our diesel engine, then others can sneak up on us. But it is very hard to sneak up on a quiet nuclear-powered submarine. Admiral Rickover's idea turned into reality, improving forever the endurance, stealth, and power of the U.S. submarine force.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, many of the U.S. Navy's front-line Pacific Fleet surface ships were destroyed or severely damaged. The submarines carried the war to the enemy and were asked to independently hunt and destroy enemy ships and submarines. They did it very effectively and without the assistance of other supporting ships. The submarine force was the most effective anti-ship and anti-submarine weapon in the entire American arsenal during the war. Our submarines, though only about 2 percent of the U.S. Navy, destroyed over 30 percent of the Japanese Navy, including 8 aircraft carriers, 1 battleship and 11 cruisers. Our submarines also destroyed over 60 percent of the Japanese merchant fleet, crippling Japan's ability to supply its military forces and industrial war effort.

Like the typical World War II movies, there are dashed lines on the eyepiece for the viewer to determine a potential target's distance from the submarine. What may not be known is that the modern periscopes have a lot more capability. These include night vision, a still camera, a video camera, many internal antennas, and it can "zoom in" or magnify what is being observed. In fact, if the submarine is close enough to shore, the periscope operator can watch a person reading a book on the beach, and maybe even read the title of the book!

Submarines are based or homeported at U.S. Navy submarine bases at Groton, CT; Norfolk, VA; Kings Bay, GA; Bangor, WA; San Diego, CA; and Pearl Harbor, HI. Large support ships, called submarine tenders, are stationed at La Maddalena, Italy in the Atlantic Ocean and Guam in the Pacific Ocean, where they can support submarines that are "forward deployed" away from their homeports in the U.S.

Two-the USS Thresher (10 April 1963) and the USS Scorpion (27 May 1968).

The exact reasons are unknown. However since the losses occurred, the Navy has implemented many changes to submarine safety systems, improved training of its sailors, and created many "redundant" submarine systems to provide primary and backup safety measures. The primary change has been the "SUBSAFE" system. "SUBSAFE" requires use of certified materials, trained personnel and inspectors to conduct work on key submarine systems (e.g., hatches and seawater piping). No other U.S. submarines have been lost at sea in over thirty years, following these extensive improvements.

The Navy is very environmentally conscious. A lot of care is taken in disposing of decommissioned submarines responsibly. The nuclear fuel is removed from the reactor and sent to Idaho for processing. The nuclear reactor compartments are cut out, carefully sealed and taken to an approved disposal site in Washington State. After the submarine's hazardous materials are properly removed and disposed of, the submarines are then stored at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington where they are eventually cut up and the various metals are recycled.

There are systems built into the submarine to assist the crew to escape safely, if required. The Navy has also developed a rescue submarine called the Deep Submersible Rescue Vehicle (DSRV). You may have seen it in the movies, Hunt for Red October, or Gray Lady Down. It drives up to the damaged submarine, mates up to the escape hatch and the crew can be taken to safety. New technologies are planned for incorporation into the next generation rescue system called the "Submarine Rescue Diving and Recompression System."

Yes, advanced sonar systems can locate objects on the ocean floor. The Navy research submarine NR-1 has been used to explore Roman shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea. Other smaller submersibles have been used for locating ships and other items such as the Titanic, which sank in 1912, and the Challenger Space Shuttle, which exploded in 1986. These smaller research submarines are equipped with "outside" cameras. They can also be remotely controlled from a nearby surface ship.

All submarines have a highly trained independent duty medical specialist on board called a hospital corpsman. These individuals receive training similar to that given to physician's assistants in the civilian world. These persons are even trained to perform basic surgery, if due to a medical emergency at sea this becomes necessary. Preferably, however, emergencies and near emergencies are either rapidly delivered to a shore facility by returning to port or by helicopter emergency medical evacuation. It may also be possible to transfer the sick person to a better-equipped surface ship either by small boat or helicopter.

In order to submerge, the submarine opens special valves at the top of the very large ballast tanks, which are filled with air when on the surface. When the valves open, air escapes out the top of the tanks as seawater enters the tank from the bottom. Since the seawater entering the tank is heavier than the air it replaces, the submarine becomes less buoyant and tends to sink.

There are several ways to get to the surface, including blowing to the surface and driving to the surface. Blowing to the surface can be done at any depth by blowing high-pressure air into the ballast tanks. As the air replaces the seawater in the ballast tanks, the submarine becomes lighter, causing it to rise to the surface. In order to drive to the surface, the submarine simply positions its planes (i.e., stubby "wings" at the stern and on the superstructure or bow of the submarine) to rise and the submarine ascends to the surface. The submarine then uses low-pressure air to force seawater out of its very large ballast tanks-called "blowing the tanks."

Although it is difficult for most people to imagine living on a submarine, challenging submarine living conditions actually build strong fellowship among crewmen. Crewmen are highly motivated, and quickly adapt to conditions. It is a busy life of specialized work, watches, and drills. There are four meals a day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and another lunch called " midnight rations" or "midrats." There is always plenty of food. Crewmembers usually get about six hours of sleep at a time; most people fall to sleep very quickly because they are ready for sleep after a long workday. The days pass without sunrises and sunsets, because on a submarine operating at sea, the only view of the sky is through the periscope! Compared to life on a surface ship, submarines are quieter and the ride is smoother because the submarine is rarely moved by the surface waves. The air is cleaner than the air outside, and many submariners notice the strong smell of the ocean when the hatch is opened after a long time.

Typically, the submarine "day" is 18 hours long, not 24 hours. Most submarines divide their crews into three watch sections. At sea, each section is on duty-this is called being "on watch"-for 6 hours, and then spends 12 hours "off watch." When on watch, the crewmen are actively operating their assigned equipment. Examples of "watches" that are manned on a continuing basis at sea are: Radioman of the Watch (operates radio equipment), Quartermaster of the Watch (determines the submarine's position on a chart), Engine Room Lower Level Watch (operates all equipment located in the lower level of the engine room), Throttleman (operates the throttles which control the main engines, which in turn control the ship's propeller) and Planesman (operates the submarine's diving or steering controls). Under normal conditions, there are approximately 25 crewmen "on watch" at the same time. Under special conditions, like during battle stations and when entering or leaving port, there are many more.

During the 12 hours out of each 18-hour "day" that submarine crewmen are not actually "on watch," they may engage in a great variety of activities. Crewmen who are off watch eat, attend training sessions and study, both for advancement examinations, and in order to become qualified to stand other watchstations. Others may perform routine preventive maintenance on the equipment they are responsible for (e.g., a radioman periodically changes emergency batteries on some of his radio gear, an electrician periodically inspects the ship's wiring for problems, etc.). A wide variety of activities are available during free time. The ships carry about 400 movies which are exchanged for different ones in each port. Card games and various board games, such as a Backgammon or Cribbage, are popular. There are also some athletic facilities on board an SSN, such as an exercise bike, versa climber, rowing machines, and free weights. U.S. fleet ballistic missile submarines have more athletic equipment because they have more space. They are so large that some people even run marathons by running around the perimeter of the missile compartment many thousands of times!

Submarines have several storerooms, refrigerated rooms, and freezers. On long cruises or deployments, however, the amount of food required exceeds available storage space. On such long deployments, cans of food are stored on the floors in the passageways throughout the ship and people simply walk on the top of the cans.

The U.S. Navy has two principal varieties of submarines: fast attack submarines and fleet ballistic missile submarines. Fast 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 they are submerged.

In the U.S., submarines are presently built in two places: in Newport News, VA by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company and in Groton, CT by the General Dynamics Corporation's Electric Boat Division.

The Navy has two official museums dedicated to submarines and undersea warfare:

NAUTILUS (SSN 571), Historical Ship Nautilus, Submarine Force Museum

Naval Submarine Base New London; Groton, CT 06349; (800) 343-0079;

Naval Undersea Museum

610 Dowell St., Keyport, WA 98345; (360) 396-4148

There are other privately funded museums -- some of which may be near you!

Drum (AGSS 228)

USS Alabama Battleship Commission, PO Box 65, Mobile, AL 36601; (205) 433-2703;

Pampanito (SS 383)

National Maritime Museum Association, PO Box 470310, San Francisco, CA 94147; (415) 775-1943;

Bowfin (SS 287)

Pacific Fleet Submarine Memorial Assn., Inc., 11 Arizona Memorial Dr, Honolulu, HI 96818; (808)423-1341;

Lionfish (SS 298)

USS Massachusetts Memorial, Battleship Cove, Fall River, MA 02721; (508) 678-1100;

Torsk (AGSS 423)

Baltimore Maritime Museum, Pier Three, Pratt St, Baltimore, MD 21202; (301) 396-3453;

Silversides (SS 236)

USS Silversides and Maritime Museum, PO Box 1692, Muskegon, MI 49443; (231) 755-1230;

Albacore (AGSS 569)

Port of Portsmouth Maritime Museum at Albacore Park, 600 Market St, Portsmouth, NH 03802; (603) 436-3680;

Ling (AGSS 297)

State of New Jersey Naval Museum, PO Box 395, Hackensack, NJ 07601; (201) 342-3268;

Croaker (SS 246)

Naval and Servicemen's Park, 1 Naval Park Cove, Buffalo, NY 14202; (716) 847-1773;

Growler (SSG 577)

Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum, Intrepid Sq, New York City, NY 10036; (212) 245-2533 ext. 7325;

Cod (SS 224)

Cleveland Coordinating Committee for USS COD, Inc., 1089 East 9th Street, Cleveland, OH 44114; (216) 566-8770;

Batfish (AGSS 310)

Muskogee War Memorial Park, PO Box 735, Muskogee, OK 74402; (918) 682-6294;

Blueback (SS 581)

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, 1945 Southeast Water Ave., Portland, OR 97214-3354; (503) 797-4000;

Becuna (SS 319)

Independence Seaport Museum, 211 South Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19106; (215) 922-1898;

Requin (AGSS 481)

Carnegie Science Center, 1 Allegheny Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212; (412) 237-3403;

Clamagore (SS 343)

Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum, 40 Patriots Point Rd, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464; (803) 884-2727;

Cavalla (AGSS 244)

Seawolf Park, Pelican Island, 2102 Seawall Blvd., Galveston, TX 77550; (409) 744-5738;

Cobia (AGSS 245)

Wisconsin Maritime Museum, 75 Maritime Dr, Manitowoc, WI 54220; (414) 684-0218;

Marlin (SST 2)

Freedom Park, 2497 Freedom Park Rd, Omaha, NB 68110; (402) 345-1959;

St. Mary's Submarine Museum

St. Marys Maritime Museum, 102 St. Marys Street West, St. Marys, GA 31558-4945; (912) 882-ASUB(2782)