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The name of the specific boat used in the movie Act of Valor isn't identified, either in the movie, director's interview, or the credits for security reasons. However, since it was obviously an Ohio-class boat, an SSGN (as stated in the interviews) and rigged for SEAL insertions, it has to be one of 4 Ohio-class SSGN's:
USS Ohio (SSGN-726)
USS Michigan (SSGN-727)
USS Florida (SSGN-728)
USS Georgia (SSGN-729)
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There are currently 14 Ohio-class boomers still performing strategic deterrence patrols; 4 others were converted to SSGN's.
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The hull designator denotes the hull type, it's purpose, and its propulsion mode. For example SSN stands for "Submersible Ship, Nuclear"; SSBN is Submersible Ship, Ballistic, Nuclear; and SSGN is Submersible Ship, Guided Missile, Nuclear. Any vessel that isn't a variant (rare in today's Navy) has a single designation - BB, DD, etc. Nuclear powered vessels are denoted with an "N" in the designation.
For submarine hull types, there are currently 3 in the U.S. inventory - SSN, SSGN, and SSBN. SSN's are Nuclear Fast-Attack Submarines - Sturgeon, L.A., Seawolf and Virginia Classes. SSBN's are Ballistic Missile Submarines (Ohio class, etc.) SSGN's are converted older SSBN's that have had their Ballistic Missiles removed as part of the Treaty with the former Soviet Union. They were converted to Cruise Missile launch platforms.
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the SSBN's or balistic missle submarines are on strategic deterrance. the only class of SSBN's the navy currently has is the Ohio class. 726-743.
although the Ohio itself, SSBN 726 is undergoing conversion to SSGN, replacing its balistic missles with guided conventional payload missles.
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Nope - one is still commissioned and active with the Russian Navy fleet (TK-208 Dmitriy Donskoy). Two others remain in commission, but are in the Reserve fleet and not active (TK-17 Arkhangelsk and the TK-20Severstal). The other 4 vessels of the 7 Typhoon-class have been scrapped.
The Russians have stated that they will keep them open for future modernization or conversion to SSGN's (Cruise Missile Submarines).
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The current total is 71 active and 2 reserve as of May 2011 -
Commissioned
14 SSBN's (Ballistic Missile Submarines)
4 SSGN's (Cruise Missile Submarines, converted SSBN's)
53 SSN's (Fast-Attack Submarines)
Reserve
2 SSN's (688-class Fast-Attacks)
The USS California, the newest Virginia-class SSN, is scheduled for commissioning in October 2011, with another 4 on the way.
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All Navy vessels and aircraft have designations on them indicating their purpose, hull type (when applicable) and propulsion type, and in most cases, tactical use.
"SSN" is the hull abbreviation for a Nuclear Powered Fast-Attack Submarine. The letters read out as:
S - Submersible
S - Ship
N - Nuclear
Or, Submersible Ship, Nuclear.
For tactical examples, an SSBN is a Ballistic Missile Submarine; SSGN is a Cruise (Guided) Missile submarine.
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Many months! The biggest limitation is the amount of food they can carry for the crew. The actual limits are classified.
Submarines can produce their own air and water and with nuclear power they could stay submerged indefinitely. The limiting factor is the amount of storage space (there is not much) on a sub for food and the the size of the crew onboard that consumes it. The larger SSGN's can stay submerged longer than the SSN's because they have more storage space.
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The current total is 71 active and 2 reserve as of May 2011 -
Commissioned
14 SSBN's (Ballistic Missile Submarines)
4 SSGN's (Cruise Missile Submarines, converted SSBN's)
53 SSN's (Fast-Attack Submarines)
Reserve
2 SSN's (688-class Fast-Attacks)
The USS California, the newest Virginia-class SSN, is scheduled for commissioning in October 2011, with another 4 on the way.
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The current total is 71 active and 2 reserve as of May 2011 -
Commissioned
14 SSBN's (Ballistic Missile Submarines)
4 SSGN's (Cruise Missile Submarines, converted SSBN's)
53 SSN's (Fast-Attack Submarines)
Reserve
2 SSN's (688-class Fast-Attacks)
The USS California, the newest Virginia-class SSN, is scheduled for commissioning in October 2011, with another 4 on the way.
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The hull designator denotes the hull type, it's purpose, and its propulsion mode. For example, SSN stands for "Submersible Ship, Nuclear"; SSBN is Submersible Ship, Ballistic, Nuclear; and SSGN is Submersible Ship, Guided Missile, Nuclear. All nuclear powered vessels, submarine or surface, are denoted with an "N" in the designation.
"SS" for "Submersible Ship", goes back to the earliest days of Submarines, when they weren't true submersibles like they are today. Until teardrop and cigar shaped hulls were designed, and longer range propulsion methods made crew limitations the only liability, older submarines were essentially surface vessels that had a limited submerged operational capability. They were, literally, "Submersible Ships". What makes them different than today's boats is that the old design made them much faster on the surface than the ever were submerged. Today's submarines are true submersibles by all definitions, much faster submerged than when surfaced.
For submarine hull types, there are currently 3 in the U.S. inventory - SSN, SSGN, and SSBN. SSN's are Nuclear Fast-Attack Submarines - L.A., Seawolf and Virginia Classes; SSBN's are Ballistic Missile Submarines (Ohio class, etc.); and SSGN's are converted older SSBN's that have had their Ballistic Missiles removed as part of the Treaty with the former Soviet Union. They were converted to Cruise Missile launch platforms.
During the Korean War, many former WW2 Fleet Boats were converted for Radar Picket duty along the Korean coastline. Their designations were "SSR", for "Submersible Ship, Radar Picket"
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The vessels of the Navy shall be named by the Secretary of the Navy under direction of the President according to the following rule: Sailing-vessels of the first class shall be named after the States of the Union, those of the second class after the rivers, those of the third class after the principal cities and towns and those of the fourth class as the President may direct." - sec. 1531 (Title Thirteen, Chapter Six, of the U.S. Code)
A large majority of the ships named for states are battleships (BB), followed by submarines (SSN, SSBN & SSGN). The remainder are cruisers (ACR & CGN), monitors (BM) and patrol craft (SP) and an amphibious transport dock (LPD).
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Modern submarines (true submarines, not Deep Submergence Vehicles, which rely on a support tender and run on batteries charged by the tender) are generally of two types, Nuclear and Diesel-Electric.
Nuclear Power is the preferred method of propulsion for most modern submarines, since their speed, range, and diving capability outweigh the advantages of a DE boat, which is quieter when running on battery with its electric motor. However, all DE's must eventually recharge their batteries with their diesel engines (even modern boats who can go weeks without a battery charge), and that key tactical limitation is what gives Nuclear boats the overall advantage.
When the debate concerning the conversion to Nuclear Power or staying with DE technology (the cost for NP is far greater, but so is the capability), a test was devised where one nuclear submarine was pitted against several DE submarines. The rest is history - each DE submarine was detected and "sunk" via simulated attack when it had to come to periscope depth and snorkel to recharge its batteries. Since that time, the U.S Navy now exclusively builds nuclear submarines, the last DE boat being retired almost 20 years ago.
SUBMARINE CLASSES
There are several classes that U.S. submarines fall into;
SSN - SSN's are Fast-Attack submarines, and are the hunter-killer descendants of the old WWI/WWII Fleet boats. Far more lethal, they can carry a range of weapons, from cruise missiles, torpedoes, mines, and special weapons. The only real threat to an SSN is another SSN.
SSBN - SSBN's are Ballistic Missile Submarines, and their primary mission is Nuclear Deterrence. Armed with several (U.S. boats can carry up to 24) ballistic missiles, each with several MIRV's, they provide a covert and mobile deterrent that still cannot be adequately prepared for.
SSGN - SSGN's are Guided, or Cruise Missile Submarines. Many SSBN's were converted to SSGN's after the Cold War and as a result of treaty requirements. They usually carry different configurations of Tomahawk Cruise Missiles.
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The reason that Destroyers are not just classified with a single "D" and Submarines with just an "S" is that there are different classes of each. It is the hull designation that denotes the vessel's function, and with the advent of the Nuclear Navy, its propulsion type as well.
The hull designator denotes the hull type, shipyard hull number, its purpose, and its propulsion mode. For example SSN stands for "Submersible Ship, Nuclear"; SSBN is Submersible Ship, Ballistic, Nuclear; and SSGN is Submersible Ship, Guided Missile, Nuclear. Any vessel that isn't a variant (rare in today's Navy) has a single designation - BB, DD, etc. Nuclear powered vessels are denoted with an "N" in the designation.
Another example is my old boat, USS RAY (SSN-653). Her designation was Submersible Ship, Nuclear, hull number 653 in Navy technical parlance.
B is a pre-1920's Battleship; BB is a post-1920's Battleship, and a BBG is a Guided Missile Battleship. A DD is a regular line Destroyer; a DE was a Destroyer Escort. A DDG, such as the Arleigh Burke class Destroyers, are Guided Missile Destroyers.
SS doesn't stand for Submarine - it stands for "Submersible Ship". This goes back to the earliest days of Submarines, when they weren't true submersibles like they are today. Until teardrop and cigar shaped hulls were designed, and longer range propulsion methods made crew limitations the only liability, older submarines were essentially surface vessels that had a limited submerged operational capability. They were, literally, "Submersible Ships". What makes them different than today's boats is that the old design made them much faster on the surface than the ever were submerged. Today's submarines are true submersibles by all definitions, much faster submerged than when surfaced. Even modern Diesel Electric boats can remain submerged for many days at a time without the need for a battery charge.
For example, my former Rate/Rank/Warfare Designator, if fully written out, would be shown as "Sonar Technician (Submarines) or STS, First Class (STS1), SS - or Submersible Ships. Written out, my Rate / Rank was STS1(SS).
For submarine hull types, there are currently 3 in the U.S. inventory - SSN, SSGN, and SSBN. SSN's are Nuclear Fast-Attack Submarines - Sturgeon, L.A., Seawolf and Virginia Classes. SSBN's are Ballistic Missile Submarines (Ohio class, etc.) SSGN's are converted older SSBN's that have had their Ballistic Missiles removed as part of the Treaty with the former Soviet Union. They were converted to Cruise Missile launch platforms.
During the Korean War, many former WW2 Fleet Boats were converted for Radar Picket duty along the Korean coastline. Their designations were "SSR", or "Submersible Ship, Radar Picket"
Other ships have similar hull designations. Aircraft Carriers, for example carry the primary hull designator "CV", for Carrier Vessel, "CVA" for Carrier Vessel, Attack (large conventional powered AC's), and "CVN", for "Carrier Vessel, Nuclear".
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No - there has never been a submarine with that name in the current or past Naval fleet. The only ship to bear the name Poseidon was USS Poseidon, (ARL-12), an Achelous-class repair ship in WWI.
There was a movie, USS Poseidon: Phantom Below, which had a fictitious Navy submarine called the Poseidon. However, the hull number is for the active commissioned submarine USS Georgia (SSGN 729), and there has never been an attack submarine with that hull number or designation.
Hollywood rarely uses real hull numbers of active ships to avoid any legal problems. The exceptions are those in which the production involves ships/submarines in which the storyline actually involves them. For example, The Hunt for Red October featured the USS Dallas, a real LA-class fast-attack submarine, of which an old friend of mine served aboard during filming. Usually though, the film will use a decommissioned hull number - many older films use 593, the hull number of the Thresher, which sank in the early 60's.
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It depends on the boat type (SSBN, SSGN, or SSN) as far as the rank of the Commanding Officer, but the CoC is essentially the same. It's not much different than other afloat commands in the Navy, though as with all nuclear-powered vessels, the Commanding Officer and Executive Officer must both have previously been qualified and successfully served aboard another vessel as an Engineer Officer.
Note:
The Ship's Corpsman (Doc) reports directly to the CO/XO.
The Chief of the Boat reports directly to the CO/XO. Though
the COB's rank is typically a Master Chief (E-9), it can be a
lower rank, such as a Senior Chief (E-8). Regardless of rank,
the COB is by virtue of position as COB the most senior ranked
enlisted member aboard ship.
Commanding Officer
(Captain or Commander, depending on boat type)
|
Executive Officer
(Commander or Lt. Commander)
|
Engineer Officer
(Lt. Commander)
|
Weapons Officer - Navigator - Supply Officer
(Lt. or Lt. Commander)
|
Division Assistants
(Junior Officers, in charge of individual Divisions)
(Lt., Lt.(j.g.), Ensign)
|
Chief of the Boat
(Senior Enlisted Aboard Ship)
|
Division Leading Petty Officers (LPO's)
(Chiefs or Senior Petty Officers)
|
Rated Sailors Qualified in Submarines
|
FLOB's / NUG's
(Free-Loading Oxygen Breathers / New Useless Guys
who aren't yet Submarine Qualified)
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Women have been riding submarines for many decades; however, until the current U.S. Administration changed policy, women have not been allowed to serve aboard submarines for a variety of reasons, but in general since it's hazardous duty and has safety hazards that affect women more than men.
While "social experiments" and the desire to serve aboard a submarine are great goals, in practice it's easy to want something when you don't know the risks involved, and the risks aren't publicly known since minimum clearance for anything regarding a modern submarine is Secret/NOFORN. Few submariners (myself included) ever get away from submarine duty without some health problem, be it lung related, mental, or cancer. The British Royal Navy's policy against women serving aboard submarines is specific, stating the radiation danger to a woman's fetus as the primary factor. Of course that's BS (radiation levels on board modern boats are less than you get from the sun) but the dangers to the female reproductive system from other chemical agents and radiation sources other than the reactor are very real. Of course that's not in the recruiting brochure when you're asked to volunteer.
It remains to be seen if the policy shift will actually take effect - unlike the changes with gays and women aboard combat ships, flying combat missions, etc., submarine duty is strictly a volunteer force, and the Navy could wind up with a mass exodus of qualified sailors from the submarine force if they push the issue. Navy life in a submarine isn't like a regular ship, and the mental stresses are hard enough without any other distractions.
One of the biggest opponents of women serving aboard boats is the wives of current submariners. Divorce rates for the submarine force typically run around 70%, given the long absences without any communication (unlike surface ships), and above average port destinations. The thought of any woman in such close quarters does not sit will with most wives.
In the past, women who ride submarines temporarily are usually assigned quarters in the XO or CO's stateroom, which has its own head facility. The biggest problem is the complete lack of privacy, even in officer and senior enllsted areas.
As of May 2011, Submarine Base Groton has received its first female candidates for submarine duty. However, they are female officers, and will be assigned to SSBN's and SSGN's due to the minimal impact on crew co-habitation.
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The physical size of the ship is the upper limit on how many people can fit in a submarine. Operationally, the atmosphere control systems and food supplies further constrain the maximum load. U.S. attack submarines deploy for about six months; when we left home, we actually had to walk on food cans at times. The lower limit would be set by the operational and maintenance needs to conduct submerged operations. Thus, there is an engineered balance between the duration of the expected missions, ability to replenish stores In my service on three U. S. submarines, the crewing was very much mission-dependent. On an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine, Jackson's "Submarines of the World" lists the crew as 155, which seems about right to me. Variables for our ship included shortages in some crew ratings at times, to having extra crew on board for training purposes. That number holds up for submerged operations of about ten weeks, but on one occasion I had to be out for twelve weeks. During some operations, such as inspections or builder's trials, the number could swell to 300 or so for a day or two. The same source suggests 175 for Russia's Typhoon-class (I'll use NATO labels), and I expect their actual numbers vary for inspections etc as well. In contrast, the Los Angeles-class were engineered for about 110 on board, but often carry about 135 to support crew training and mission requirements. Russia's Victor III-class is built for 100, but probably can carry more for an extended period. Their newer Akula may actually require less crew, I've always heard the Russians like to automate operations as much as they can. The Russian Oscar-class SSGN is listed at 130. I would guess the Ohio-class ships converted to SSGNs probably need about the same crew as the regular ones. Special operations complements aboard could add more, maybe a hundred or so for shorter duration missions. In contrast, I went aboard a fairly modern Chilean Type 209-class sub visiting our base in Pearl Harbor one Sunday morning. One of the crew indicated that they had deployed with just 33 crew (Jackson suggests 22). It wasn't cramped at all, and the senior enlisted guy I talked to said everyone had their own bunk, the CO had a small stateroom. The galley was just a griddle over a small oven, quite small, and the dining area was just a couple of four-seat dinettes. I don't remember seeing a wardroom. The engine room was small, with four small diesels and a Siemens switchboard, in a separate compartment. The crewman back there talked to me in a normal voice, and I came to realize one of the diesels was actually running; it was quiet, like my Civic.
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The physical size of the ship is the upper limit on how many people can fit in a submarine. Operationally, the atmosphere control systems and food supplies further constrain the maximum load. U.S. attack submarines deploy for about six months; when we left home, we actually had to walk on food cans at times. The lower limit would be set by the operational and maintenance needs to conduct submerged operations. Thus, there is an engineered balance between the duration of the expected missions, ability to replenish stores
In my service on three U. S. submarines, the crewing was very much mission-dependent. On an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine, Jackson's "Submarines of the World" lists the crew as 155, which seems about right to me. Variables for our ship included shortages in some crew ratings at times, to having extra crew on board for training purposes. That number holds up for submerged operations of about ten weeks, but on one occasion I had to be out for twelve weeks. During some operations, such as inspections or builder's trials, the number could swell to 300 or so for a day or two. The same source suggests 175 for Russia's Typhoon-class (I'll use NATO labels), and I expect their actual numbers vary for inspections etc as well.
In contrast, the Los Angeles-class were engineered for about 110 on board, but often carry about 135 to support crew training and mission requirements. Russia's Victor III-class is built for 100, but probably can carry more for an extended period. Their newer Akula may actually require less crew, I've always heard the Russians like to automate operations as much as they can. The Russian Oscar-class SSGN is listed at 130. I would guess the Ohio-class ships converted to SSGNs probably need about the same crew as the regular ones. Special operations complements aboard could add more, maybe a hundred or so for shorter duration missions.
In contrast, I went aboard a fairly modern Chilean Type 209-class sub visiting our base in Pearl Harbor one Sunday morning. One of the crew indicated that they had deployed with just 33 crew (Jackson suggests 22). It wasn't cramped at all, and the senior enlisted guy I talked to said everyone had their own bunk, the CO had a small stateroom. The galley was just a griddle over a small oven, quite small, and the dining area was just a couple of four-seat dinettes. I don't remember seeing a wardroom. The engine room was small, with four small diesels and a Siemens switchboard, in a separate compartment. The crewman back there talked to me in a normal voice, and I came to realize one of the diesels was actually running; it was quiet, like my Civic.
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Project Azorian (the actual CIA code name for the operation), incorrectly referred to as Project Jennifer (the CIA compartmented fake code name) by the mediathe recovery of the Russian GOLF-II-class (NATO reporting name) ballistic missile submarine K-129 (lost in 1968, likely as a result of a fatal onboard casualty) 1800 miles north of Hawaii, is the subject of many speculative books. However, until recently, the full story has been (and still is) very highly classified. It is to date one of the biggest intelligence and recovery operations of the Cold War. Even during my time in the submarine force, there were always many rumors about the operation just 7 years later about how much they actually recovered. The engineering feat cannot be under-emphasized - the attempted raising of an intact sunken submarine almost 3 miles deep isn't easy.
In November 2009, a video by Michael White films, released under the title "Azorian- The Raising of the K-129", is the most detailed analysis of the recovery effort to date, and includes engineers who were responsible for the recovery ship Hughes Glomar Explorer, and who were on site for the attempt. It was made without the consent of the U.S. Government, is available on DVD and has been included in the Netflix streaming plan under Documentaries.
On March 11, 1968, the Soviet GOLF-II (NATO designation) Diesel-Electric submarine K-129 was presumed lost at sea when she failed to make her scheduled check-ins, and failed to respond to open communication from the Soviet Navy HQ. The Soviet Navy sortied into the Pacific in a massive search and recovery effort. While they didn't tell the United States what they were searching for, intelligence analysts correctly deduced they were likely looking for a lost submarine. Searching through acoustic SOSUS records, they found 2 significant acoustic events (likely casualty and impact of the bottom), at a spot 1800 miles north of Hawaii. Discussion was made at the highest levels of government as to whether an attempt could be made to find the wreck, and if so, if it could be raised both intact, and in secret.
After only a relatively short time (a few weeks), the converted submarine USS Halibut (SSGN-587), modified for underwater search and special operations, located the wreck of the K-129. Taking thousands of photographs to document the wreck, a plan was eventually devised to try and raise the wreck intact to gain access to her nuclear missiles and code materials. Since the CIA couldn't do it openly, they approached billionaire Howard Hughes, a long-time government contractor, with the task of building a ship specifically for the one-time attempt at recovering the K-129. The result was the Hughes Glomar Explorer, built by Hughes' company Global Marine. Her cover story was that she was built for mining valuable manganese nodules recently found on the ocean floor. Hughes was rich and eccentric enough to build it for this reason, and most people (even today) still believe that's what it was built for.
The operation remained highly classified until then-President Clinton gave Russian President Yeltsin a copy of a burial-at-sea ceremony film that was taken onboard the Glomar Explorer during recovery of the K-129. 6 remains of Soviet sailors were recovered with the wreckage, and they were buried at sea in services of both the Soviet Navy and U.S. Navy, approximating what was believed to be the closest of what an actual service would've been. It was hoped when it was filmed that the record could one day be given to the Russians to show that we had treated their sailors with respect, despite the adversarial nature of the Cold War.
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Submarines were invented primarily to destroy enemy ships in war, but initially they were considered underhanded by most naval officers because they were meant to attack without warning. The evolution of the submarine in wartime due to less restricted naval thinking by others helped changed that viewpoint forever.
While Submarine roles are continuously being redefined over the course of their nearly 400 year old use, as technology has evolved, their primary roles over the past 100 years have included:
Anti-ship warfare
Anti-Submarine Warfare
Radar Picket
Land Attack (Nuclear and Conventional )
Strategic Deterrence
Covert Intelligence
Covert Operator Insertion & Recovery
Covert Rescue
Search & Rescue
Mine Laying
Battle / Task Group Escort
Convoy Escort
Quick-Response to World Conflicts (submarines can get into position faster than surface vessels and undetected)
Naval & Scientific Research
Detection, Documentation, and Salvage Assistance of Naval Artifacts/Wreckage
Sailors have always dreamed of traveling under the ocean surface - Leonardo Da Vinci, an inventor of many war machines of his time, drew some of the first submarine concept designs, but they weren't put to practical use until many years later. They were eventually conceived as a craft that could sneak up on its target and sink it by means of an explosive charge. Originally, that was meant to be attached somehow, then detonated by means of a timed device. David Bushnell, inventor of the submarine Turtle, the first submarine used in combat during the Revolutionary War (but not successfully) proved that gunpowder could be detonated underwater. Unfortunately, the Turtle wasn't sufficient enough in power and design to overcome the problems with his concept of attack, boring a hole into the side of a ship and planting a charge.
The success of the submarine as a weapon finally came to pass with the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley, which successfully planted its spar torpedo (an explosive charge on the end of a long pole attached to the submarine) into the Union sloop-of-war USS Housatonic in Charleston Harbor (South Carolina). The Hunley crew then detonated it by remote line (150' rope) as it backed away. Recent evidence found after analyzing the salvaged wreck shows that it did not sink from flooding damage caused by the explosion as previously thought; after signaling Confederate forces at her base on Sullivan's Island that the mission was successful, her crew apparently died from lack of oxygen as she was attempting to return to base after sinking the Housatonic in Charleston Harbor.
Submarine warfare evolved early in the 20th century as an anti-shipping weapon, meant to deny an enemy the means of resupplying itself. Up until the advent of airplanes, shipping was, and still is today, the primary means of moving large amounts of materials and supplies around the globe. The ability to control strategic areas of ocean by means of a weapon that is silent and can strike with little or no warning has as much impact and meaning on global events today as it did then.
Submarines are not considered vessels per se - the are considered a weapon in and of itself, and the submarine is fought as a weapon during battles.
During WWI, the submarine was used primarily as a regional weapon with restrictions on their use. Its development and significance as a major threat during the war cemented the submarine firmly in the minds of Naval strategists as a major weapon, and submarine technology and experimentation continued to evolve after the war ended.
In WWII, both Germany and the United States showed the world the value of the submarine as a weapon that can change the course of global events. For Germany, its initial successes with U-boats in the Battle of the Atlantic nearly isolated and destroyed Britain by cutting off vital supplies and war material. It wasn't until effective Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) measures were developed by the Allies that the U-boat threat was nullified.
In the Pacific, though the Japanese scored a major blow at Pearl Harbor, they failed to destroy either the American submarine or carrier fleets. Executing Unrestricted Submarine Warfare against Japanese targets, American submarines were able to eventually choke the supply lines to Japan the way Germany had done to Britain early in the war, but in the Pacific example, the Japanese weren't able to counter the submarine threat. Their successful attacks on Japanese targets allowed the fleet to rebuild after Pearl Harbor within months.
Submarines in WWII were also used to rescue downed fliers, insert covert operatives into hostile areas, and rescue prisoners and VIP's from enemy areas. These operations continue today.
It should be noted that until the advent of Nuclear Power and significant increases in battery technology, submarines up to that point weren't true submersibles. They were built primarily as surface ships with limited submerged operational capability. Nuclear Power changed that forever. With unlimited power, a modern submarine is only restricted by the needs of her crew. With more power comes more speed and the ability to add more weapons and operational capability. The submarine during the Cold War evolved into 2 distinct types - Fast-Attack, for ASW operations, and Ballistic Missile, for Strategic Deterrence.
After the START II Treaty removed Ballistic missiles from older type FBM submarines, they were refitted as SEAL delivery vehicles or Cruise missle platforms (SSGN). Fast-Attack submarines are already equipped with both torpedo tube launched and in some cases vertical tube launched (VLS) cruise missiles as well as guided torpedoes.
An FBM's mission is to continually remain undetected - they are the most effective nuclear deterrent that the U.S. has. Fast-Attack submarine missions are multi-faceted, serving as cruise missile platforms, advance scouts for Carrier Battle Groups, hunter-killer missions, SEAL delivery, research missions, and even salvage/DSRV (Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle) transport and delivery to target.
Today's modern submarines are true submersibles in every sense of the word. The ability to travel undetected in the vast oceans of the world is not only a major advantage, but a distinct physical and psychological threat to any enemy. A single submarine can tie up enemy ASW forces at length, or force them to alter battle plans. The best example is the Falklands War, in which 2 Argentinian Diesel-Electric boats tied up British ASW forces, while their own Fast-Attack, HMS Conqueror, scored the only modern day submarine torpedo kill against the light cruiser General Belgrano. After the war, it was found that the Argentinian submarines never left port.
The last successful wartime sinking of a large Naval vessel was in 1982 by the British Royal Navy attack submarine HMS Conqueror during the Falklands War. The Conqueror attacked and sank the Argentine Cruiser ARA General Belgrano, an old WWII U.S. Navy Light Cruiser sold to Argentina. Although it carried modern homing torpedoes, their reliability was in question, so the Captain of the Conquerorused 1925 era Mk 8 torpedoes instead. The Belgrano sunk within minutes of being struck by 3 torpedo hits, with the loss of over 300 crew.
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