Action: A picture of an attack submarine is shown on the right. The following text is shown below it:
The concept of technical superiority over numerical superiority was and still is the driving force in American submarine development. A number of Third World countries are acquiring modern state-of-the art non-nuclear submarines. Countering this threat is the primary mission of U. S. nuclear attack submarines. The other missions range from intelligence collection and special forces delivery to anti-ship and strike warfare. The Navy began construction of Seawolf class submarines in 1989. Seawolf is designed to be exceptionally quiet, fast, well-armed with advanced sensors. It is a multi-mission vessel, capable of deploying to forward ocean areas to search out and destroy enemy submarines and surface ships and to fire missiles in support of other forces. The first of the class, Seawolf (SSN 21), completed its initial sea trials in July 1996. Attack submarines also carry the Tomahawk cruise missile. Tomahawk launches from attack submarines were successfully conducted during Operation Desert Storm. Ship characteristics: Speed, 25 plus knots; Crew consists of 13 officers and 121 enlisted; Ship armament for the Virginia class are Tomahawk missiles, MK-48 torpedoes, and eight torpedo tubes. The Seawolf class has Tomahawk missiles, MK-48 torpedoes, and eight torpedo tubes. Los Angeles class armament includes Tomahawk missiles, VLS tubes (SSN 719 and later), MK-48 torpedoes, four torpedo tubes.