USN Submarine Classes: Sea Wolf, Los Angeles, Virginia, and Ohio

Beneath the surface of the world's oceans, the U.S. Navy's submarine force operates with unmatched stealth and precision. Comprising the vast and flexible Virginia and Los Angeles classes, the elite Seawolf class, and the nuclear-armed Ohio class, this silent service forms the cutting edge of American sea power. Whether gathering intelligence, launching precision strikes, or deterring nuclear threats, these submarines remain one of the Navy's most formidable tools in an unpredictable world. The Los Angeles class submarines, designated as SSN-688, have been a cornerstone of the U.S. Navy's undersea warfare capabilities since their introduction in the 1970s. Designed during the Cold War to counter the Soviet Union's expanding submarine fleet, these nuclear-powered fast-attack submarines were engineered for speed, stealth, and versatility. Measuring 360 feet in length with a beam of 33 feet, they displace approximately 6,900 tons when submerged. Propelled by a single S-6G nuclear reactor, the Los Angeles class can achieve speeds exceeding 25 knots, with some estimates suggesting higher submerged speeds. This propulsion system grants them virtually unlimited range and endurance, limited primarily by crew provisions. The submarines are capable of diving to depths greater than 800 feet, allowing them to operate undetected in various maritime environments. Over the years, the Los Angeles class has proven adaptable to evolving mission requirements, including anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, and special operations support. Despite the introduction of newer classes like the Virginia class, the Los Angeles class remains a vital component of the U.S. Navy's submarine force, with 23 units still in active service as of 2025. The Seawolf class was conceived at the height of the Cold War, when the U.S. Navy faced a sobering challenge beneath the waves. The Soviet Union was rapidly closing the technological gap in submarine warfare. With the introduction of increasingly quiet and heavily armed Soviet attack submarines, particularly the Akula and Oskar classes, U.S. Navy planners needed a response that would not just match but decisively outclass these emerging threats. The goal was to ensure the U.S. retained dominance in the critical domain of undersea warfare, particularly in deep arctic waters and contested choke points where any future conflict would likely unfold. To meet that challenge, the Seawolf class was designed as the most advanced, heavily armed, and stealthy fast attack submarine ever built. It was envisioned as a deep diving, ultra-quiet hunter-killer capable of detecting and engaging enemy submarines before being detected itself. Measuring 353 feet in length and 40 feet in beam, the Seawolf and Connecticut displace approximately 9,137 tons submerged. The USS Jimmy Carter, with a 100-foot hull extension known as the Multi-Mission Platform, extends to 453 feet and displaces about 12,158 tons submerged. This extension allows for specialized missions, including intelligence gathering and special operations support. Powered by a single S-6W nuclear reactor, these submarines can achieve speeds exceeding 25 knots and have a diving depth greater than 800 feet. Their propulsion system includes a pump-jet propulsor, enhancing stealth by reducing acoustic signatures. Armament-wise, the Seawolf class is equipped with eight 660mm torpedo tubes and can carry up to 50 weapons, including Mark 48 ADCAP torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles. Unlike some predecessors, they lack vertical launch systems, relying instead on torpedo tubes for missile deployment. The Seawolf class submarines, particularly the USS Jimmy Carter, represent the pinnacle of U.S. Navy undersea warfare capabilities, designed for specialized and clandestine missions. Equipped with a 100-foot hull extension known as the Multi-Mission Platform, the Jimmy Carter is uniquely configured to support advanced operations such as deploying and recovering remotely operated vehicles, conducting special forces missions, and potentially tapping undersea fiber-optic cables. This modification allows the submarine to serve as an underwater splicing chamber, facilitating signals intelligence activities that were previously the domain of specialized vessels like the now decommissioned USS Parche. Beyond its structural enhancements, the Seawolf class boasts cutting-edge technology that enables it to operate in contested environments with minimal detection. Its advanced sonar systems, including the BQQ-5D Spherical Sonar Array and TB-29 Toad Array, provide exceptional detection capabilities. The class's propulsion system, featuring a pump-jet propulsor powered by an S-6W nuclear reactor, ensures high-speed, quiet operation, making it one of the stealthiest submarines in the fleet. These technological advancements, combined with the class's ability to carry up to 50 weapons, including Tomahawk cruise missiles and Mark 48 torpedoes, make the Seawolf class a formidable platform for both traditional and unconventional missions. Its capabilities underscore the U.S. Navy's commitment to maintaining undersea superiority in an era of evolving maritime threats. Virginia-class submarines are tasked with conducting independent operations against enemy submarines and surface ships, strikes against ground targets using sea-based cruise missiles, providing anti-submarine defense for warships and convoys, and conducting covert special operations, including in shallow water areas. The lead Virginia SSN-774 entered service in 2004. The crew of this boat consists of 15 officers and 120 enlisted. Her hull is 377 feet long, 34 feet wide, and has a displacement of 7,300 tons dived. Virginia-class subs are the first class where all masts share common design. This is called the Universal Modular Mast, which is an integrated system for housing, erecting, and supporting submarine mast-mounted antennas and sensors. The Virginia class is equipped with high-resolution cameras, along with light intensification and infrared sensors, an infrared laser rangefinder, and an integrated electronic support measures array. This class is also the first class of submarines to utilize photonic sensors instead of a traditional periscope. In submarine warfare, the word stealth has a different depth. Virginia incorporates newly designed anechoic coatings, isolated deck structures, and a new propulsor design to achieve a low acoustic signature. Instead of traditional bladed propellers, the Virginia class uses pump-jet propulsors, which reduces cavitation risks and allows for quieter operation. The main propulsion units are the GE Pressure Water Reactor S9G designed to last as long as the submarine, two turbine engines with one shaft, and a United Defense Jump Jet Propulsor providing 29.84 megawatts. The speed is over 25 knots dived. Yes, Virginia is silent until she attacks. The Virginia class submarine is heavily armed with 12 vertical launching systems and four torpedo tubes capable of launching Mark 48 torpedoes, UGM-109 tactical tomahawks, and harpoon missiles. With her integral lockout lock-in chamber, the Virginia class can host a mini-submarine such as Northrop Grumman's Oceanic and Naval Systems Advanced Seal Delivery System to deliver Navy SEAL teams. The first four boats, defined as Block 1, were built in 10 modules with each submarine. Six Block 2 Virginia class submarines were made in 4 modules rather than 10 modules to reduce costs. The Block 3 submarines have two multi-purpose Virginia payload tubes, which replaced the dozen single-purpose cruise missile launch tubes of Block 1 and Block 2. The other difference of the Block 3 is their horseshoe-shaped large aperture bow sonar array, which replaced their air-backed spherical main sonar array used on all U.S. Navy submarines since 1960. The large aperture bow sonar array, consisting of a passive array and a medium-frequency active array, is water-backed. The Block 4 submarines incorporate design changes aimed at extending the component level life cycle of the submarine, allowing the U.S. Navy to increase the frequency of depot maintenance availability and the number of deployments. Virginia class submarines are expected to remain in service until at least 2060, with later versions expected to remain into the 2070s. The sea leg of the United States nuclear deterrent triad is based on board the Ohio class submarine. Being one of the stealthiest submarines in the world, the Ohio class submarines represent America's ace in the hole. This submarine has megatons of nuclear firepower quietly patrolling the world's oceans. The Ohio class submarines were the result of an early 1970s requirement for a larger missile submarine capable of carrying the next generation and beyond of submarine-launched ballistic missiles. Each displacing 18,750 tons submerged, the Ohio class boats are the largest submarines ever built for the U.S. Navy. The Ohio class submarines were constructed from sections of hull, with each four-deck section being 42 feet in diameter. The sections were produced at the General Dynamics Electric Boat Facility, Quonset Point, Rhode Island, and then assembled at its shipyard in Groton, Connecticut. Ohio class was designed to be 560 feet long, with a beam of 42 feet, enabling enough space for them to accommodate two rows of 12 Trident missiles each. Trident II which is the latest iteration of these missiles, is capable of carrying up to 12 multiple independent re-entry vehicles, or MIRVs, each with a yield of 100,000. These missiles have a range of up to 6,500 nautical miles. When in 1994, Nuclear Posture Review determined that the United States needed only 14 of its 18 SSBMs to meet the nation's strategic force needs, the remaining submarines were refitted with up to 154 Tomahawk TLAM land-attack or tactical Tomahawk missiles. These submarines also became capable of conducting special operations missions with accommodation for Northrop Grumman Advanced Seal Delivery Systems, or ASDS. The Ohio class submarine is fitted with four 533 millimeter torpedo tubes, with a Mark 118 digital torpedo fire control system. The torpedoes are the Gould Mark 48, which is a heavyweight torpedo with a warhead of 640 pounds that can be operated with or without wire guidance. Their range is up to 27 nautical miles at a speed of 40k. As countermeasures, the Ohio class submarine is equipped with eight launchers for the Mark 2 torpedo decoy. Electronic warfare equipment is and the WLR-8V surveillance receiver. This undersea predator is aware. The Ohio class utilizes BPS-15A I-J band radar for the surface search navigation and fire control. These vessels have Kelmorgan Type 152 and Type 82 periscopes. The sonar suite includes IBM BQQ-6 passive search sonar, Raytheon BQS-13, BQS-15 active and passive high-frequency sonar, BQR-15 passive towed array from Western Electric, and the active BQR-19 navigation sonar from Raytheon. Powered by the pressure water reactor GEWPR-68G with two turbines providing 60,000 horsepower and driving a single shaft, the Ohio class submarines have a speed in excess of 18k surfaced and 25k submerged. This class was designed specifically for extended war deterrence patrols. To enable this heavy duty each of these submarines is provided with two complete crews of 15 officers and 140 enlisted called the blue crew and the gold crew with each crew serving typically on 70 to 90 day deterrent patrols. This class has been in service since 1981 but its design allows the warship to operate for about 15 years between major overhauls. The Ohio class is to be replaced by the Columbia class beginning in early 2030s. This concludes our episode that provides a glimpse into the nuclear submarines of the U.S. Navy. There are of course many other remarkable weapon systems in the U.S. military so what do you think about these nuclear leviathans? Also if you were lucky enough to see one of the submarines mentioned in this video up close or better yet served in one please comment. Remember to hit the subscribe button and ring that bell to stay updated with our latest content and while you're here why not check out another one of our exciting videos. Thanks for watching and see you in the next one.