A Submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. Driven by powerful engines, they consist of a cylindrical body with hemispherical (or conical) ends and a vertical structure.
Attack Submarine is designed to sink other submarine and attack, sea or land-based targets. These submarines are armed with powerful sonar and different weapons system including cruise missiles, thus increasing the scope of their missions.
These can be deployed in surveillance operations, anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare activities and carry out their role underwater stealthily.
Check out the top five best attack submarines:
Top 5 Best Submarine
Sierra Class II Submarines: These Russian submarines are expensive and are known for their deep-sea diving capability. The double hull of this submarine is made from Titanium that makes them noise resistance and increases the resistance against torpedoes.
The operational depth of this submarine is 520 m with maximum depth being 750 m. Developed under the project named 945A Kondor class, they can carry a crew of about 62 persons.
The pod houses the Skat 3 passive very low frequency towed sonar array. This submarine can attain a speed of 10 Knots of surfaced speed and about 32 knots of submerged speed. A pressurized water reactor delivers about 190MW power to shafts.
Fitted with Skat 3 passive very low frequency towed sonar array and armed with SS-N-15 Starfish and SS-N-16 Stallion anti-submarine missiles along with S-N-21 Samson cruise missiles.
90 kg HE Type 40 torpedo, 4 x 650 mm and 4 x 533 mm torpedo tubes, mine-laying configuration includes 42 mines instead of torpedoes making it one of the most potent attack submarines in the world.
Graney Class Submarines: These are Russian nuclear power submarines and were developed under the project 885 Yasen. The hull of these submarines is built with low magnetic steel to reduce the magnetic signature and include much advanced spherical sonar.
They can dive up to an operational depth of 300 m with a maximum dive depth of 600 m and operated with a crew of 50 persons. This submarine can attain the speed of 16 knots of surfaced speed and about 31 knots of submerged speed.
They have eight vertical launching tubes for cruise missiles that can carry a nuclear warhead and also contains eight 650 mm torpedo tubes for launching torpedoes or anti-ship missiles. The submarine is powered by a pressurized water reactor having a life span of 25-30 years and does not require refuelling.
Armaments include P-800 Oniks, SS-N-27 sizzler cruise missiles, 3M51 Alfa submarine-launched cruise missiles (SLCM) and Sampson SLCM.
The torpedo tubes can launch SS-N-16 Stallion anti-submarine missiles, VA-111 Shkval torpedo, type 65-76, Type 65K torpedoes and SAET-60M. It also has mine-laying configuration includes 40 mines instead of torpedoes.
Astute Class Submarines: These are nuclear power attack submarines of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. They can dive up to an operational depth of 150 m with a maximum dive depth of 300 m with a carrying capacity of 90 crew and officers.
The command centre of the submarine receives data from advanced spherical sonar and other sensors and, through advanced algorithms and data handling, displays real-time images on the command consoles.
This submarine is powered by Rolls-Royce pressurised water reactor that has a life-span of 25 years without the need to refuel. They can attain a speed of 20 knots of surfaced speed and about 30 knots of submerged speed and can carry about 38 torpedoes’.
Armaments include six 533mm torpedo tubes that can launch Spearfish torpedoes and Boeing Sub-Harpoon anti-ship missiles. They are also fitted with Tomahawk cruise missiles that are capable of hitting targets within a range of 1000 km.
The submarine is also fitted with Atlas hydrographic DESO 25 high precision echo sounders along with two CM010 non-hull –penetrating Optronic Masts in place of periscopes. It also has a mine-laying configuration and can carry mines instead of torpedoes.
Virginia Class Submarines: These are multi-mission nuclear-powered attack submarine of the USA having advanced stealth facility. In contrast to the conventional propeller blade, they have the pump-jet propulsions to drag the submarine ahead.
They use photonic sensors instead of traditional periscope; they are also equipped with high-resolution cameras along with infra-red sensors.
Armaments include 12 vertical launch system (VLS) tubes and four 533 mm torpedo tubes. VLS can launch Tomahawk submarine-launched cruise missiles. It has a storage capacity of 26 mk48 ADCAP mod 6 heavyweight torpedoes and sub harpoon anti-ship missiles. It also has a mine-laying configuration and can carry mines instead of torpedoes.
This submarine is powered by GE pressurised water reactor that has a life-span of 30 years without the need to refuel. They can attain a speed of 20 knots of surfaced speed and about 25 knots of submerged speed and can carry a crew of about 130 persons.
Seawolf Class Submarines: These are the most advanced and expensive attack submarines operated by the US naval force and are the best submarines ever built. The hull is entirely made of high-class steel that gives the advantage of exceptional quietness even at high tactical speeds.
They can attain a speed of 18 knots of surfaced speed and about 35 knots of submerged speed and can carry a crew of about 130 persons. These subs are powered with GE PWR S6W reactor system, two turbines rated 52,000hp (38.8MW), a pump jet propulsion, a single shaft and one secondary propulsion submerged motor, that allows it to have an operational diving depth of 487 m with a maximum diving depth of 610 m.
They are fitted with state of the art electronic system featuring a BSY-2 sonar suite with an active or passive sonar array and a wide-aperture passive flank array along with TB-16 and TB-29 surveillance and tactical towed arrays. They also feature a BPS-16 navigation radar and a Raytheon Mk2 weapons control system and BQS 24 active sonar for close-range detection.
With eight 660 mm torpedo tubes in a double-decked torpedo room, these submarines are capable of dealing with multiple targets simultaneously. The Gould mk48 ADCAP torpedoes combat both high-performance surface ships and fast deep-diving submarines.
The torpedo has a 267 kg warhead. They are also loaded with sub-harpoon anti-ship missiles and about 100 marine mines can be carried in place of either the torpedoes or the cruise missiles. The submarine is armed with both the land-attack and anti-ship version of the Tomahawk missile from Raytheon.
The land-attack Tomahawk has a range of 2,500 km. The anti-ship Tomahawk missile is equipped with inertial guidance and an active radar and anti-radiation homing head with a range up to 450 km.
These submarines have great manoeuvrability and despite their weapons load, their ultra-quietness, and their advance electronics fit makes them strongest attack submarines of the world.
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