1944 the German experimented Navy with submarine-launched ballistic missiles. In 1955, the Soviet Navy its first submarine with ballistic missiles in service. Around 1960 in the Soviet Union and began the U.S. mass production of strategic submarines. In the Cold War, they became an important part of the nuclear deterrent , as a first strike of the respective enemy side would submarines difficult to discern, and to destroy, and therefore - if a responsive management system (C ³) is still there - in a position to retaliate perform. These submarines are capable of bringing them in close to the enemy coast missile and thus to reduce the defense and response capabilities of the enemy.
All States that presented during the Cold War nuclear submarines with intercontinental ballistic missiles in service have today about these weapons systems. These are in addition to the U.S. and Russia as the successor power of the Soviet Union the United Kingdom ,France and China . India wants to make 2010 his first SSBN in service, China and Russia are building more SSBNs and UK firm plans to build new boats in the 2020s.
Currently, worldwide there are more than 30 submarines with ballistic missiles in service, all of which are driven nuclear. These are up to 170 feet long and displace about 15,000 tons regularly. Each of these submarines carrying up to 24 ballistic missiles, each of which in turn up to twelve independently targetable nuclear warheads capable of carrying. It is to hydrogen bombs . The explosive power of each individual warhead today is generally more than 100 kilotons TNT equivalent , in contrast to the approximately 13 kT in 1945 over Hiroshima bomb dropped Little Boy . 1987, during the Cold War, some 130 missile submarines were active, including the Soviets some 15 conventionally powered units.
History
Development
During the Second World War , German researchers developed the A4 (V2), the first ballistic missile. Towards the end of the war was in the Army Research Center Peenemünde a V2 version developed, which should be dragged in a launch container behind a submarine. Each submarine should draw up to three of these 36 meter long, manned by ten soldiers container through the North Sea. Before England had the container brought to the surface and the missile had been fired. Prototypes were tested already on the Baltic coast, before the project had to be abandoned in 1945 with the evacuation of Peenemünde. Three containers were at that time already under construction. The commander of the army laboratory Walter Dornberger, described the project as "not on hot end".First missile submarines
Shortly after the war started east and west development work with the aim of being able to equip submarines with ballistic missiles. The Cold War accelerated the development. Initial tests did the Soviet Navy. By captured German documents from Peenemünde was built there five submarines of Zulu-class to missile carriers. 1955 a submarine of this class for the first time fired from a ballistic missile.From 1959, then completed both the United States Navy and the Soviet Navy as the first planned missile submarines ships. The U.S. provided the end of 1959, the USS George Washington (SSBN-598) and by 1961 a further four units of the George Washington class in service. The hulls of these boats were actually hunting for submarines of the Skipjack class was provided. Adding launch tubes for missiles but it was the first SSBN made. The Soviet Union was only weeks later the first boat of their golf class in service, such as theZulus, one diesel-electric drive implemented in a rocket-powered submarine. These were the only conventionally fueled missile submarines. 1961, the Soviet Union gave up the nuclear-powered submarines with ballistic missiles in service, it was the hotel class at.
The Soviet boats had to surface to fire the rockets and then stabilized at the surface, which lasted around 90 minutes. The U.S. Navy, however, could be launching their missiles from a submerged submarine off. On 20 July 1960 made the George Washington first time dipped from a ballistic missile. In October 1961, the Soviet Navy fired its first submarine-based missile with a warhead thermonuklearem from, half a year later, the U.S. Navy. From the mid-1960s the Soviet Navy also upgraded its submarine fleet to the underwater missile launch.
These first missiles had very limited range. On the American side, the various versions of came UGM-27 Polaris with ranges from 1000 to 2500 nautical miles is used, the Soviet Union put the R-11 and R-13 one that could reach targets at distances up to 370 nautical miles. The R-21 , used since 1963, flew 750 miles wide.
Repetitive Manufacturing
The Soviet Navy in the following years made missile submarines in large numbers. Until 1964 it had around 30 Gulf and hotels . in serviceThis was possible because the conventionally-powered boats of the Golf class could be produced much more quickly than the larger, more complex nuclear submarines. Thus, the U.S. Navy had only 15 boats in 1964, along with those of Washington-class boats, five of the Ethan Allen class and first boats of the Lafayette-class . China acquired the golf plans and made a boat of the class.As early as 1960, the Soviet Navy had but postponed the development of new SSBN and put their focus on land-based missiles, the classes golf and hotel only were already ordered units completed. Khrushchev created in late 1959, the Strategic Missile Forces as independent branches of the armed force and concentrated the strategic nuclear missiles within this. Strategic submarines were considered by him to be unnecessary. In contrast, the speed of construction of the U.S. Navy took over the following years with increasing experience, by 1967 they had 41 SSBNs in service. This fleet, with thoughts of the desired function of the nuclear deterrent,41 for Freedom , ie 41 for Freedom called.
Mid-1960s, revised the Soviet leadership its position on the missile boats, 1967, the first unit that was Yankee class put into service, which is approached technically the first time in Western designs. One of the early boats in the following years 33 more boats This class adds. 1971 as a result of stepped Strategic Arms Limitation Talks in limiting the SSBN force. The Soviet Navy with 740 nuclear-powered missile launch tubes on submarines was allowed to increase to 950 starters to 62 boats, but only at the same time phasing out of old boats and land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles. The U.S. Navy, were allowed under the same conditions, 44 boats with 710 start tubes.
From 1972, the Soviet Navy added to its fleet in addition to the boats of the type project 667b (Delta I), which in the expansion stages 667BD (II) and 667BDR received (III) to 1982 36 units. Because they sure few submarines Hotel and Golf class and later Yankee-classdisabled or umrüstete to hunt submarines, it surpassed the U.S. Navy, which still only its 41 for Freedom began, the missile boats concerning numerically quite soon by far.
Also in Europe in the early 1960s began with the construction of submarines with ballistic missiles. In 1967 the Royal Navy its first SSBN the resolution class in service, which was followed by three more in 1969. The French navy made the Gymnote (S 655) until a conventionally powered submarine with four missiles, which served as a test vessel for the subsequent SSBN class, and introduced in 1971, the nuclear-powered Redoutable class in service, the boats to 1980 five received.
From the early 1980s, first came to the SSBN fleet, even well into the 21st Century will be in service. On Soviet side, this concerns the six boats of the Typhoon class and the seven units of the type project 667BDRM (Delta IV). The U.S. Navy completed in 1981, the 18 SSBNs of the Ohio class , the 41 for Freedom replaced. At the same time let the People's Republic of China its first SSBN the Xia-class from the stack.
The rockets used on these boats reached first intercontinental range . The American UGM-96 Trident I had a range of nearly 5,000 nautical miles, the improved UGM-133 Trident IIfrom 1990 then 7000 miles. These are also used by the Royal Navy. The Soviet R-29 flew in their versions up to 5000 miles, the R-39 was slightly below. France had with the M 4 one SLBM with a range of 2700 nautical miles, China's first rocket, the JL-1 flew, just 1100 miles.
After the Cold War
The Royal Navy introduced in the early 1990s with the Vanguard -class SSBNs, the first-class service in the post-Cold War, which has not yet developed during this phase. It was the same with the French Triomphant class that was put into service in 1997. For this was the M 45 developed with a range of 3300 miles.Now the Russian Navy took over the SSBN fleet of the Soviet Union in 1987 consisting of over 60 conventional and 15 nuclear-powered missile submarines, was able to sustain the operation financially but barely. The still active golf , Yankees and Delta I and II were asked to 1995 out of service and later the first Typhoon and Delta III . Even the U.S. Navy thought about four of its Ohio off, but then she converted to submarines with cruise missiles .
Russia and China made in the 21 Century, the first new SSBN. Russia revived the Borei-class again, the planning had already begun around 1990 and its first units to enter service in summer 2012. China is the Jin-class , the progress is unknown. With the Bulava (range up to 5500 miles) respectively of the JL-2 (5,000 miles), both nations also developed new missiles.
2012 betreibt the U.S. Navy 14 SSBN of Ohio-Class , the Royal Navy four Vanguards und Französische Marine four Boote derTriomphant class . Unklarer ist the Situation in Russland und China. Russland hat Vienna produces around 10 Boote. Drei Davon to gehören of Delta-III- , sechs der -IV-Classes an,III dürften aber den nächsten Jahren were deaktiviert. Dazu bowls ein oder Zwei aktive Boote of the Typhoon class . Who many SSBN Stars China betreibt, ist unknown. 2011 Söll tie irst Boot of Jin-class einsatzbereit zu sein, weitere befinden sich in Entwicklung.
Future
Russia and China are currently the Borei- respectively Jin-class , the units corresponding to the mid-21st Century can remain in service. France's SSBN fleet is fairly new, the Indienststellungen took place between 1997 and 2010, so no plans for new boats are known.The U.S. Navy is at its Ohio-class now comprises of a service period of 42 years instead of 30, after it was found that the wear of the boat is less than previously thought. According to 2026 would begin the deactivation, the last boat would go out of service in 2039. Planning should therefore begin after 2010, when the Ohio-class replacement is recommended. After the U.S. Navy's shipbuilding plan of 2003, the acquisition of the SSBN (X) begin trading under the name class between financial year 2019 and 2023.
The Royal Navy, however, has already announced in 2006 that the Vanguard -class must be replaced from about 2022, the time of life is thus assumed to be 25 years. The planning for the replacement is already underway. For the construction of four boats to the United Kingdom will spend 15 to 20 billion pounds sterling in money value price of 2006/2007. However, these are received, instead of 16 as the predecessors only 12 missiles.
India wants the end of 2012 a first SSBN, the INS Arihant put in service and with its own ballistic missiles of the type Sagarika equip, but only have a range of around 400 miles.
Use
Application profile
The main objective of a submarine with ballistic missiles is to remain undetected during his patrol, so that it can fulfill its role of nuclear deterrence. With its nuclear missiles being sent to the far reaches of the oceans on patrol. In secret places in the boat draws as leveling his tracks, waiting for the order to shoot down its nuclear missiles. The journey takes two to three months, during which the submarine normally appears not once.The boats on the one hand for first strikes are used, but also have second-strike capability . The biggest advantage of the boats as Erstschlagswaffe is that they are mobile and their corresponding firing rockets close to the coast of the attacked country. Since this reduces the flight time, also, the victim less time to react. You can therefore Enthauptungsschlägen attack the political and military leadership of the enemy and interrupt the chain of command, which could order a counterattack. At the same time would also tried to destroy the nuclear missiles of the enemy. In the reverse situation, but it is just difficult to track down the SSN of the enemy and destroy them, so that they are appropriate for such a counter-or second switch length.
This logic comes from the time of the Cold War, when the concept of mutual assured destruction has kept both sides of nuclear strikes.Especially when the missile submarines came up, the U.S. Navy had advantages over the Soviet Navy. Since the first submarine-based missiles had only very short ranges, a patrol close to each other before the coast was needed. In order to shorten the travel time, the U.S. Navy could deploy its SSBNs in advanced bases. Were used Rota in Spain and Holy Loch in Scotland and Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and Apra Harbor , Guam. These ports have been specially equipped to ensure there could be dealt with nuclear weapons. Among others, there permanently submarine tender stationed. The Soviet Navy in the Pacific, on the other hand had their ports on Kamchatka through the entire ocean. Even worse was the situation in the Atlantic. After the boats at its ports Kola had left, they had the GI-UK gap to pass to reach the Atlantic. Correspondingly strong NATO had this area with hunting submarines and ships and aircraft for anti-submarine and the SOSUS network hedged. Thus many Soviet SSBNs would be prosecuted and if necessary can be torpedoed before they could fire their missiles. Thus, for example, the hunting submarine USS Batfish (SSN-681)one Yankee track 1978 on 44 days and almost 9,000 miles.
With the introduction of intercontinental missiles this changed fundamentally. Theoretically, the Rockets can now be fired from the quay wall. Particularly the Soviet Union, then straightened under the Arctic ice pack one bastions, partly by hunting submarines and land-based aircraft secured areas where the SSBN Delta and Typhoon class patrolled. In case of war they had a hole in the ice, a polynya , driven there and fired its rockets. The U.S. gave up their advanced bases, even at the cost of securing the nuclear weapons to save there.
France and Great Britain to send their boats from Ile Longue or Faslane-on-Clyde to patrol the North Atlantic. About the driving pattern of the Chinese Navy is not known. The new boats of Jin-class are in the Naval Base Sanya on Hainan stationed, possibly the Chinese Navy operates in the Gulf of Bohai , a similar bastion, as it set up the Soviet Navy.
Patrol frequency
After the end of the Cold War, the number fell to active strategic submarines in both the U.S. and in Russia. While the U.S. Navy, however, has maintained its operating frequency per boat, laying figures fell sharply in the Russian Navy.In the late 1960s the U.S. Navy by 130 runs annually, in the following three decades, on average around 100 In the 21st Century, the number of dropped to about 60 or 31 in 2008. From about 100 patrols of the Soviet Navy in 1984 the number decreased annually over a further 20 trips in 1994 to no more early 21st Century. 2008, completed another ten patrol boats, with which Russia could again calculated for the first time since 1998, continuous sea-based deterrent reached at sea. France and Britain reached with 6 patrols per year such a permanent presence of nuclear missiles under the surface. The Chinese Xia was never sent out on patrol until 2009, none of the boats of the Jin-class .
Thus the U.S. Navy by 2008, more than SSBN patrol car with all the other countries put together. The total of 59 missile submarines of the U.S. Navy completed between the first patrol of George Washington on 15 November 1960 and 2009 aggregated nearly 3,900 patrols, of which 1000 with Tridents on board.
Crew
For the crews to the service on missile submarines significantly different from those on other warships. The Western navies to share each SSBN two complete crews, the Soviet Union took over this concept later. Thus, the port demurrage are reduced significantly. Each U.S. boat goes for 70 to 90 days on patrol, then comes into the harbor and changes to the occupation which after a short time can go back on patrol. The Ohio-class spends as 74 to 77 days at sea, followed by a 35 - to 38-day period for bunkering. This makes them about 70% of the time in use. In contrast, the Soviet Navy did with the advent of ICBMs most of their missile submarines high readiness in port, leaving only a small portion of patrol. They staffing costs and reduced wear.During the Cold War, at least on American missile submarines, nuclear missiles could be launched without triggering from the outside must be authorized. When the radio operator was ordered to launch the missiles, two officers had to confirm and verify the submitted code. After that was the Commanding Officer of the command, sharp move the missiles and fire them could then. Frank Barnaby drew 1984 on this basis, a scenario in which only the radio operator and the captain of a SSBN would have to conspire to trigger a nuclear war. Only in 1997, with the Trident Coded Control Device introduced a system that tightly binds the shooting because a token, of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has been sent. All other states with SLBMs at sea, with the exception of the United Kingdom have implemented a similar system. On the boats of the Royal Navy, however, the crew is still in a position to shoot down nuclear missiles on their own initiative.
And psychological operations of SSBN is stressful. Sun sailors on these boats can expect to survive a nuclear war, however, cities and military installations nuke. In addition, the home bases, where family and friends live, the primary goals of the other party.
Share of the rocket forces
Both the U.S. and Russia and China have not only SLBM also land-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The U.S. Navy maintains it more than half of all U.S. strategic warheads. In contrast, form the land-based missiles from Russia, just as it did in the Soviet Union, the majority of the strategic deterrent forces. The number of warheads on SLBMs in the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army is unknown. The Xia were regarded more as a prototype rather than as part of the strategic deterrent forces, with the advent of Jin this is changing, however.France built in the 1970s, 18 silos for ballistic medium-range missiles in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence , and had mobile short-range missiles. Both types have been disarmed the mid-1990s, however. Britain got never a land-based ballistic nuclear missiles. Both countries support its nuclear deterrent instead completely on SLBMs.
Technology
Hull and drive
Technically submarines with ballistic missiles correspond essentially normal (nuclear) submarines. Most significant change is the additional section to accommodate the missile. So for the first SSBN of the fuselage of a U.S. Navy under construction hunting submarine was blown apart and supplemented by an approximately 40-foot component.At first Soviet missile submarines of the Hotel and Golf-class ballistic missiles were three in a row in the tower housed. The submarine was in such a configuration is not significantly greater, only the tower was a bit stretched aft.
All subsequent submarines of all navies are however designed differently and significantly more missiles between 12 (Xia-class) and 24 (Ohio-class) . These can be fired submerged.The ballistic missiles are housed in one section, which is located midships, is mostly behind the tower. This makes sense, since the submarine remains quite stable at rocket launches.Depending on the diameter and length of the fuselage of the missile at a significant number of submarines hump is seen, among which there are the vertical position in each individual missile launch tubes. Because of this additional section, the SSBN are, however, also significantly longer and heavier than hunting submarines. The largest of the missile submarines are more than 170 feet long, while hunting submarines measure a mere 100 meters. They displace more than 15,000 tons submerged regularly, which is why the name is "boat" partially perceived as inappropriate. Some authors use instead as "U-boat". Because of their size SSBN lose much of agility and speed, which is why they are where they tracked down by hunting submarines, these have little to oppose.
Based on their mission profile for missile submarines speed is anyway not a determining factor, they have a much slower speed than about hunting submarines. Instead, it is to fulfill its mission essential that they develop in slow and medium speeds as little noise the enemy passive sonar conceive and thus could locate the boat. Modern reactors therefore implement the principle of natural convection , in which, during the slow speed no pumps needed to pump coolant through the reactor where a major source of noise from nuclear submarines off.
The size of the boats optimum hydrodynamics is important for the performance of the boat. So all American boats are in a teardrop shape on the model of experimental boat USS Albacore (AGSS-569) manufactured the rocket bosses are far less visible than in individual Soviet designs. This is also due to the Trident II are between one and a half feet shorter than their eastern counterparts aboutR-29 in the Delta-class , for their missiles requires a significant increase in the deck area behind the tower. Also on the basis of this structure and its flow resistance require all boats of the Soviet Hotel- up to the Typhoon class two reactors. This means more noise reactor, through the hull structure are irregular noise is generated.
With the Typhoon class joined the Soviet Navy into a new dimension. Although it is similar in length as previous drafts of all nations, but about twice as wide, the displacement is approximately twice the Delta IV or Ohio class . This was achieved by two separate pressure casings which are enclosed by the outer hull. Midship there is another small pressure hull for the command center under the tower. The R-39 missiles are more than two and a half feet longer than the Trident , its launch tubes between the pressure casings and front of the tower. The design has been optimized for use in the pack ice.
Armament
Missiles are intended to be armed submarines of this type. For self-defense but they are also with torpedo tubesfitted. As rocket launches are to locate visually, acoustically and easily using radar, a submarine betrays his position with the start and therefore may rely on being able to defend themselves.During the first Soviet strategic submarines to launch missiles still had to the water surface, to more modern boats of all states to fire the rocket plunged into periscope depth of 20 meters. But they turn a cold launch on technique called: In a free space below the rocket, a gas is pumped to start breaking the rocket and a protective cap rises, protected by the gas from water pressure at the water surface. Only then ignite the rocket engine. The first SLBM however worked on the principle of hot launch , had to emerge in which the boat, the rocket was raised slightly from the silo and then directly from the silo out started her engine. After the launch of a missile, the now empty tube filled with water, to compensate for the weight loss and the U-boat so as to keep in trim.
Today's SLBM can each carry multiple warheads. This one individual warheads Multiple Independently targetable Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) can be programmed to their own objectives. After the dissolved from the MIRV warheads, they control to different pre-set coordinates. The Russian Bulava SLBM is the first Maneuverable Reentry Vehicles on (MARV). Here are the weapons even after the separation from the launch vehicle able to perform maneuvers and not only obey the predictable ballistics. This makes them much more difficult to intercept.
Multiple warheads give each SSBN a huge destructive potential. Each Trident II aboard the Ohio- and Vanguard -class can carry twelve warheads, the first Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I), allows for the United States eight warheads, so that each submarine can engage up to 192 targets. The Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty demands by 2012, a further reduction of warheads , and therefore limited the U.S. Navy since 2005 to six warheads per missile, further reductions will follow. Even with six W88 warheads each missile but still reached an explosive yield of nearly 3 megatons of TNT equivalent . This puts the explosive force of a so-tipped missile at 200 times the bomb dropped on Hiroshima Little Boy . Equipped with six W76 the explosive force is still 600 kilotons. In fact, a mixture of both types is on board any U.S. submarine. During the Cold War every U.S. missile submarine ran enough destructive power to destroy all Soviet cities with more than 200,000 inhabitants.
During the Cold War, the number of deployed warheads on SSBNs steeply. There were in 1970 about 650 U.S. and 300 Soviet SLBM warheads, their number had risen to about 1988 to 5600 (U.S.) or about 3000 (USSR). This increase was made possible mainly by the introduction of multiple warheads in the 1970s. Thus, the U.S. Navy was no significant increase in the launch tubes increase the number of warheads, and the ten-fold increase of Soviet warheads not only based on fleet magnifications. With the end of the arms race fell again these figures, the United States was 2009, around 1150 and Russia stationed about 600 usable warheads on its SSBNs.
France and Russia put warheads one with similar performance as the W76, so that the destructive power of a rocket lies with multiple warheads of 500 kilotons of TNT equivalent. The Royal Navy fitted each Trident with three warheads of 100 kilotons. On the Chinese no MIRV missiles are used, the explosive force is at 200 to 300 kilotons per missile. The Indian Navy will equip its SLBM with a warhead of 500 kilotons.
2006 brought the Defense of the United States , on the advice of the National Research Council before, a version of the Trident II develop with conventional warheads and on the boats of the Ohio-class use to in the changed risk situation after the end of the Cold War, with non- nuclear long-range missiles to attack as terrorists. The Congress , however, refused to fund the project, in part from the concern that Russia and China to start such a conventional Trident could be mistaken for a nuclear strike. The partial disarmament of nuclear warheads would leave it to increase the danger of nuclear war.
Costs
The construction of a submarine of the Ohio-class cost 1985, the last boat, 1.8 billion U.S. dollars The first unit was still taxed at 740 million dollars. eighth in 1980 with $ 1.12 billion For the Trident II program, the Congressional Budget Office, the U.S. government, including the development and construction of the rocket as well as the construction, operation and maintenance of submarines, from 1987 to 2030 cost of $ 100 billion, according to prices from 1987 provided.The much smaller Trident fleet of the Royal Navy will cost over the lifetime of some 15 billion pounds according to prices from 2007. The replacement for the Vanguard class over their lifetime could devour up to 76 billion pounds.
A single nuclear missile type Trident II costs to purchase approximately 30 million U.S. dollars.
Accidents
The reactors of the first Soviet SSBN Hotel class were compared to Western standards screened is very incomplete and far more prone to error. Similarly, there were problems from the start. The K-19 suffered in 1961, shortly after her commissioning, a leak in the cooling water circuit of the reactor, as they drove in Greenland. A meltdown could be avoided only by that eight sailors directly into the contaminated reactor chamber went and installed a makeshift emergency cooling system. Both these eight and 13 other sailors were contaminated to such an extent that she died from the effects of radiation. 1968 decreased with the K-129 , a diesel-electric missile submarine golf class for unknown reasons in the Pacific. The Soviet Navy only noticed the lack of radio messages of the boat, the wreck could not find it. The U.S. Navy, however, had about SOSUS detected an explosion and locates the Untergangsort. The CIA was then under the utmost secrecy, the Hughes Glomar Explorer, built in 1974 and tried Azorian project to recover the wreck of 5000 meters below, and succeeded in some cases.In 1985, after reports a Chinese SSBN is the Xia-class have declined, but this was never officially confirmed. 1986 exploded on the Soviet submarine K-219 for a seawater leak in a silo, one of the ballistic missiles. After the episode here reactor problems occurred, the sailor had Sergei Anatolyevich Preminin in the reactor chamber to the reactor manually shut down, a meltdown to prevent. He succeeded, but he died of radiation poisoning. After the K-219 three days had driven on the water surface, it finally sank.
On the Western side, there was far less serious accidents. The USS George Washington (SSBN-598) rammed on 9 April 1981 at a Notauftauchübung the East China Sea, the Japanese freighter Nissho Maru . The submarine surfaced again after the collision, the captain stated that the ship had apparently not been in distress. Through the hole that had hit the U-boat in the hull, water rushed into the engine room, the ship sank. Two crew members died, thirteen others were rescued after 18 hours in a life raft. The incident angered the Japanese public, President Ronald Reagan had to officially apologize for the behavior of the U.S. Navy, the U.S. later paid compensation.
Due to the applied strategy , submarines pursue ballistic missiles whenever possible, especially during the Cold War conflicts between hunting and missile submarines were not uncommon. Known Issues Examples are the clashes between the USS Augusta (SSN-710) and the K-279 (Delta-I class) in 1986 or the USS Grayling (SSN-646) and the K-407(Delta IV class) 1993rd
One exception is the collision between two missile submarines, as they rarely operate in associations. Known was a clash between the British HMS Vanguard (S28) and the French Triomphant (S 616) in February 2009 in the Atlantic Ocean. According to the Royal Navy, both boats were at slow speed, which can become known damage suggest that the Triomphant the Vanguard rammed amidships. The accident is a testament to how quiet modern SSBN have become, as both boats, despite the close proximity to each other apparently could not locate by sonar.
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