The Balao (SS-285) class was conceived as an improved Gato (SS-212) class submarine. Balao introduced several new concepts to the submarine force when she was commissioned in 1943. The most important of these being the thicker pressure hull, using 7/8" high tensile steel plates rather than the 5/8" plate used in the earlier Gato class. Improvements in hull construction increased the test depth of this class to 400-feet as opposed to 350-feet in the Gato class and fuel capacity was significantly increased which improved patrol radius. Submerged endurance was 48 hours at 2 knots. Cruising range was almost 10,000 sea miles on the surface at 10 knots with 116,000 gallons of diesel fuel. Patrol duration was 75 days.

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During World War II, the Gato class, and its successor, the Balao class, carried much of the burden of the submarine war in the Pacific. These new fleet submarines were successful boats that proved to be fast, strong, well armed, and suited to the long-range patrols necessary to fight in the Pacific. They waged war against the Axis powers, amassing a record of devastation and sheer killing power that was unmatched by any other land or sea assault platform. These new fleet submarines enabled the Navy to shift its submarine doctrine from coastal defense to open ocean attacks on enemy warships and convoys critical to enemy logistical support. This doctrine of forward presence and strike warfare by the submarine remains today.

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The TYPHOON class ballistic missile submarine is the largest submarine in the world by far .It was one of the most feared weapons of the Cold War. The submarine's design includes features for traveling under ice and breaking ice. Each submarine is capable of carrying twenty long-range ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads. The missile has a range of up to 10,000 km and was once aimed at the United States . The lead unit of this class was commissioned in September 1980 and introduced into the Northern fleet on 12 December 1981. During 1981 to 1989, six Typhoon submarines entered service. A seventh vessel was begun but never finished. Learn More

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The Los Angeles-class, sometimes called the LA-class or the 688-class, is a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines (SSN) that forms the backbone of the United States submarine fleet.

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The German Type 212 class, also Italian Todaro class, is a highly advanced design of non-nuclear submarine (U-Boat) developed by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft AG (HDW) for the German Navy and Marina Militare.

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