Can a submarine be destroyed?

Submarines are apex predators that depend on stealth — so were sabre-toothed tigers, he argues, and they're extinct. Once detected, submarines can be destroyed: hull breaches are catastrophic, and in the case of a nuclear ship, the damage to a nuclear reactor cannot be fixed like a diesel turbine.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on wired.co.uk

How many submarines have been destroyed?

Nine nuclear submarines have sunk, either by accident or scuttling. The Soviet Navy has lost five (one of which sank twice), the Russian Navy two, and the United States Navy (USN) two.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on en.wikipedia.org

Can a missile destroy a submarine?

Finally, a submarine can also be destroyed by means of artillery fire and missiles in the rare case that a modern submarine surfaces, but these weapons are not specifically designed for submarines and their importance in modern anti-submarine warfare is very limited.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on en.wikipedia.org

What is the most effective weapon against a submarine?

The Vertical Launch Antisubmarine (VLA) missile is the only operational anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon that effectively satisfies the surface ship ASW mission. The VLA's stand-off range and lightweight torpedo payload make it equally effective in littoral and open- ocean operations.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on lockheedmartin.com

Can one torpedo destroy a submarine?

Most modern submarine-launched torpedoes are dual-purpose, meaning they are able to sink a ship or submarine, but they have different characteristics and methods for achieving those goals. Single-purpose torpedoes have a very specific method of attack and can be difficult to evade.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on thedrive.com

How to Detect and Destroy a Submarine

40 related questions found

Can a shark break a submarine?

The fearless cookie-cutters have even disabled the most dangerous ocean creature of all—the nuclear submarine. They attacked exposed soft areas including electrical cables and rubber sonar domes.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on businessinsider.com

Can the ocean crush a submarine?

No. The crush depth is where the submarine would explode as a result of diving pressure. The max depth, usually, would leave “room to spare” before reaching the crush depth. The hull crush depth for a nuclear submarine is mostly classified.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on thesoldiersproject.org

What are submarines weakness?

But diesel-electric submarines had two major weaknesses: when they were submerged they travelled quite slowly on battery power; and they needed to surface to allow the diesel engines to recharge the batteries. (Nuclear submarines have neither of these weaknesses, which is why they are so useful as warships.)

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on blogs.scientificamerican.com

Can a submarine survive a nuclear blast?

Most current submarines can survive at a depth of 400 m, so they might survive long pressure spikes created by the waves above them as high as 200–400 m, but not kilometer size waves. Submarines are also designed to withstand short pressure spikes from close explosions of deep charges and even nuclear explosions.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on sciencedirect.com

What is the biggest threat to a submarine?

Common weapons for attacking submarines include torpedoes and naval mines, which can both be launched from an array of air, surface, and underwater platforms.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on en.wikipedia.org

How deep can a submarine go before being crushed?

It's generally accepted that the maximum depth (depth of implosion or collapse) is about 1.5 or 2 times deeper. The latest open literature says that a US Los Angeles-class test depth is 450m (1,500 ft), suggesting a maximum depth of 675–900m (2,250–3,000 ft).

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on navalpost.com

Has a submarine ever hit another submarine?

On the night between 3–4 February 2009, the two submarines collided in the Atlantic Ocean. On 6 February 2009, the French Ministry of Defence reported that Le Triomphant "collided with an immersed object (probably a container)" The UK Ministry of Defence initially would not comment that the incident took place.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on en.wikipedia.org

How do submarines not hit anything?

Below periscope depth submarines effectively run blind. They rely on 3D gyroscopes that sense acceleration and direction to compute position.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on theguardian.com

Which country has the most war submarines?

Top 10 Countries with the Largest Military Submarine Fleets (Global Firepower 2021):
  • China - 79.
  • United States - 68.
  • Russia - 64.
  • North Korea - 36.
  • Iran - 29.
  • South Korea - 22.
  • Japan - 20.
  • India - 17.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on worldpopulationreview.com

Has a submarine ever reached the bottom of the ocean?

But reaching the lowest part of the ocean? Only three people have ever done that, and one was a U.S. Navy submariner. In the Pacific Ocean, somewhere between Guam and the Philippines, lies the Marianas Trench, also known as the Mariana Trench.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on defense.gov

When was the last time a submarine sank?

KRI Nanggala (402) sinking

At a press conference held on April 25, 2021, the 53 crew were confirmed lost after the submarine was found at a depth of 839 meters (2,752 ft) below sea level by Indonesian navy ship KRI Rigel,, broken up into three parts.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on en.wikipedia.org

What is the temperature inside a submarine?

Even though the entire submarine has air cooling facility, only two decks are air-conditioned. The temperature in the rest of the submarine is around 30-35 degrees and the crew works in sweltering heat.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on chennai36.iitm.ac.in

How many days can a nuclear submarine stay underwater?

America's ballistic missile submarines can stay submerged and hidden from prying eyes for up to three full months at a time, but what happens when one of these vessels needs to be resupplied while out at sea?

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on sandboxx.us

Do nuclear submarines run out of fuel?

“They use what's called highly enriched uranium, which enables them to run for the whole life of the submarine – so a 25-30 year life – without being refuelled,” says Irwin. Diesel-electric submarines also need to resurface often to turn on their diesel engines to charge their batteries.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on cosmosmagazine.com

Do submarines run out of oxygen?

A submarine is a sealed container that contains people and a limited supply of air. There are three things that must happen in order to keep air in a submarine breathable: Oxygen has to be replenished as it is consumed. If the percentage of oxygen in the air falls too low, a person suffocates.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on science.howstuffworks.com

What happens if someone dies on a submarine?

If the submarine is in operation, they can be on board for a couple of days to several weeks, it really does depend on the situation. In a nutshell, when someone dies on board, it can become a crime scene where nothing can be touched if they are in operation and then it's time to prioritise food.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on dailystar.co.uk

Can China detect US submarines?

The result is a growing “transparency” in the seas surrounding China. China's ability to detect American submarines at great distances is improving by the day. China has deployed underwater sensors that allow it to monitor US submarine activity as far as Guam.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on eurasiantimes.com

Has a submarine ever hit a whale?

This actually happened in the 80s when a Soviet sub crashed into a whale. The sub survived although heavily damaged the whale was killed.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on thehealthyjournal.com

What is the deepest a human has gone in a submarine?

The dive to the ocean's deepest point turned up some surprises. The news: During a four-hour exploration of the Mariana Trench, retired naval officer Victor Vescovo piloted his submarine to 10,927 meters (35,849 feet) below the sea's surface, making it the deepest dive on record.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on technologyreview.com

Can a submarine reach Titanic?

The OceanGate crew were in St. John's with the sub after making 10 dives to the wreck site over the past several weeks. "Titan is the only five-person sub capable of going to the Titanic depth, which is half the depth of the ocean," said Stockton Rush, founder and CEO of OceanGate.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on cbc.ca