Alligator was a submarine designed by the French that was deployed during the American Civil War by the Union. It was 47 feet long and four feet in diameter. 1)
With a submerged displacement of 48,000 tonnes, a length of 574ft (175m), and a beam of 75ft (23m), Project-941 Akula class (NATO reporting name Typhoon) nuclear-powered submarines are the largest ever made. They could reach 27 knots (50km/h) while submerged and stay underwater for over 120 days. 2)
They could carry 20 R-39 ballistic missiles, each with 10 nuclear warheads. This means that each (of the six ever built) Typhoon-class submarines were able to sneak to almost any place in the world undetected and launch nuclear warheads to 200 separate targets in a 5,200-mile (8,300 km) range in a short period of time. With a blast yield of 100-200 kt of TNT each(which is 10 times more powerful than the atomic bombs used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki), they were capable of annihilating entire countries. 3)
Today only one Akula, TK-208 Dmitry Donskoy, remains in service. 4)
The first submarine was built in 1620 by Dutch inventor Cornelius Drebbel. 5)
The first successful military submarine was the Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley, which sank a Union ship during the American Civil War in 1864. 6)
The first nuclear-powered submarine was the USS Nautilus, which was commissioned in 1954. 7)
Submarines can operate at depths of up to 800 feet (240 meters). 8)
Some submarines are equipped with missile launchers, making them a strategic asset in naval warfare. 9)
Submarines can remain underwater for extended periods of time, with some able to stay submerged for months at a time. 10)
Submarines use a ballast system to control their buoyancy, allowing them to submerge and surface. 11)
The largest submarine ever built was the Soviet Navy's Typhoon Class, which was 170 meters long and had a displacement of 48,000 tons. 12)
Submarines use a periscope to view the surface and a sonar system to detect other vessels and underwater obstacles. 13)
Some submarines are equipped with dry decks, allowing them to launch and recover underwater vehicles while still submerged. 14)
The US Navy has the largest submarine fleet in the world, with 72 submarines in active service. 15)
Submarines can be classified into two main types: nuclear-powered submarines and diesel-electric submarines. 16)
Submarines played a crucial role in World War II, particularly in the Battle of the Atlantic. 17)
The US Navy uses the term “Silent Service” to refer to its submarine force. 18)
Submarines are also used for scientific research and exploration, as well as for oil and gas exploration. 19)