Los Angeles-class submarine
The Los Angeles class of submarines are nuclear-powered fast attack submarines (SSN) in service with the United States Navy. Also known as the 688 class after the hull number of lead vessel USS Los Angeles (SSN-688), 62 were built from 1972 to 1996, the latter 23 to an improved 688i standard. As of 2024, 24 of the Los Angeles class remain in commission—more than any other class in the world—and they account for almost half of the U.S. Navy's 50 fast attack submarines.
USS Los Angeles, lead boat of the class.
Crewmen monitor consoles at the diving station aboard a Los Angeles-class submarine
A portside bow view of the fore section of USS Santa Fe tied up at the pier in February 1994: The doors of the Mark 36 vertical launch system for the Tomahawk missiles are in the "open" position.
The aft end of the control room for USS Jefferson City in June 2009
An attack submarine or hunter-killer submarine is a submarine specifically designed for the purpose of attacking and sinking other submarines, surface combatants and merchant vessels. In the Soviet and Russian navies they were and are called "multi-purpose submarines". They are also used to protect friendly surface combatants and missile submarines. Some attack subs are also armed with cruise missiles, increasing the scope of their potential missions to include land targets.
HMCS Windsor, an attack submarine of the Royal Canadian Navy
USS K-3 with BQR-4 sonar dome
K-5, a Soviet November-class SSN, the threat that made Western conventional SSKs obsolete
USS Thresher, the first high-speed deep-diving SSN optimized for both ASW and surface attack
