Ballistic missile submarine: Difference between revisions
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A '''ballistic missile submarine''' is a [[submarine]] equipped to launch [[ballistic missile]]s at sea, almost always from underwater. They share the engineering challenges of all submarines, but have some unique to their operational role. In general, ballistic missile submarines, all modern versions of which have the [[naval vessel designation code]] | A '''ballistic missile submarine''' is a [[submarine]] equipped to launch [[ballistic missile]]s at sea, almost always from underwater. They share the engineering challenges of all submarines, but have some unique to their operational role. In general, ballistic missile submarines, all modern versions of which have the [[naval vessel designation code]] | ||
'''SSBN''', are larger, slower, and quieter than [[attack submarine]]s. | '''SSBN''', are larger, slower, and quieter than [[attack submarine]]s. | ||
Revision as of 14:24, 7 August 2009
A ballistic missile submarine is a submarine equipped to launch ballistic missiles at sea, almost always from underwater. They share the engineering challenges of all submarines, but have some unique to their operational role. In general, ballistic missile submarines, all modern versions of which have the naval vessel designation code SSBN, are larger, slower, and quieter than attack submarines.
Ballistic missile submarines are national-level strategic assets; their most important advantage is that they are nearly undetectable, and thus nearly invulnerable. To be undetectable, their designers take extreme care to make them as quiet as possible.
Another major challenge is communicating with submerged submarines.
Yet another challenge is inherent to ballistic missiles, which fly a trajectory calculated to take them from one known point to another known point. Since the submarine is moving, it must have extremely accurate navigation systems to make the point of launch comparably well known as for a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile.