In June 2022, a small group of officers and politicians gathered at Quonset Point, Rhode Island, to begin the construction of the Navy’s newest and largest subset of Columbia-class submarines, with a spine-laying ceremony for the USS District. Colombia. Welder Maria Betances-Pissarro of General Dynamics Electric Boat, the submarine’s manufacturer, raised a torch to the steel plate and wrote the initials of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes, the boat’s sponsor from DC.

When the submarine finally enters service in 2031, with a length of 560 feet and a displacement of 20,810 tons, it will be the largest and most powerful submarine ever to enter US waters. It is one of 12 planned submarines in the new Columbia class. Each will carry 16 nuclear missiles, accounting for 70 percent of the nuclear weapons that America is ready to use at any time.

Ballistic missile submarines, such as the Columbia-class submarines, earned the nickname “boomer” for their powerful punch and enormous size. But these submarines are not the undisputed alphas of the oceans. Designed to track and hunt Boomer subs to prevent them from launching their weapons, attack submarines can swim faster and dive deeper than any other submarine and are equipped with a range of weapons designed for deep sea warfare. The third type, cruise missile submarines (also called guided missile submarines), attack surface ships and land targets from hundreds of miles away.

According to GlobalFirePower.com, at least 43 countries currently operate at least one submarine. And in this modern era, while large surface ships are vulnerable to long-range anti-ship missiles, global powers are doubling their efforts underwater.

Russia continues to invest heavily in its submarine forces despite other aspects of its military atrophy, according to the nonprofit security research group Nuclear Threat Initiative. China’s growing navy has recently eclipsed America’s as the world’s largest combat fleet. And the US Department of Defense estimates that China will begin construction of its new Type 093B guided missile submarine by the middle of this decade.

The latest generation of “hunter-killer” submarines and cruise missiles are also armed with modern weapons capable of attacking from hundreds or even thousands of miles away. Some US subs will carry an upgraded version of the Tomahawk cruise missile that can change targets in course and stay over the target area for hours. Some submarines, such as Russia’s newest Yasen-M-class submarine, even carry maneuverable hypersonic anti-ship missiles, such as the 3M22 Zircon. With a claimed top speed of Mach 8, it can reach a target at the end of its 621-mile range in just six minutes.

And while submarines of the early twentieth century could only dive 75 feet, today’s submarines can dive 1,600 feet or deeper, where even sunlight can’t reach. There, modern submarines lurk quietly in the Black Sea – some armed with the most destructive force humanity has ever created.

Brian Herrin, a former Navy veteran who served on the USS, says an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine would make it the world’s sixth most powerful nuclear power. Ohio. The Ohio-class submarines, which will be superseded by the Columbia class within the next decade, carry 20 submarine-launched ballistic missiles, each capable of carrying up to eight individually targeted nuclear warheads, more than nuclear firepower. Israel or North Korea can boast of their entire arsenal.

But even among these mighty underwater players, a few stand out. These warships have a unique combination of ability, firepower and advanced technology that makes them the most dangerous ships on the planet. Source