NewStats: 3,262,447 , 8,177,164 topics. Date: Monday, 02 June 2025 at 10:21 AM 402h3w

Five attack submarines stand out as the best in the world today:

Russia's Sierra II Class (Project 945A Kondor) and Yasen-Class (Project 885), the UK's Astute-class, and the U.S.'s Virginia-class and Seawolf-class.

These submarines are renowned for their advanced technology, multi-purpose capabilities, and powerful weaponry.

Each class features unique innovations, such as the titanium hulls of the Sierra II, the high-specification video technology of the Astute, and the modular design of the Seawolf, making them formidable assets in modern naval warfare.

Today, more than two dozen nations operate attack submarines, but these five classes stand out as the absolute best of the best.

1. 🇷🇺 Project 945A Kondor Class – Sierra II:

The Sierra II Class, also known as Project 945A Kondor Class, remains among the Russian Navy's most expensive and deep-diving submarines. The boats were specifically developed for search and destroy missions against U.S. nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines.

A follow-up to the Sierra I, the class was unique due to its light and strong titanium twin-pressure hulls, which featured space in between. That enabled the boats to dive to greater depths, while it reduced the level of radiated noise and increased resistance to torpedo attacks. The boats were also powered by a single OK-650 pressurized water reactor, rated at 190 MW.

It had greater speed and diving depth than its American counterparts at the time it was designed and would have been a serious threat if the Cold War turned hot. Two of the submarines were completed – the Pskov (ex-Zubatka) and Nizhny Novgorod (ex-Okun) – and both remain operational with the Russian Navy's Northern Fleet. A third of the class, Mars, was laid down in 1990. That boat was built to an improved Project 945B (NATO designation Sierra III class), but it was scrapped before completion in 1992.

2. 🇷🇺 Project 885 Yasen Class – Severodvinsk:

Russia's Yasen-class submarines (NATO reporting name "Severodvinsk" ) are considered to be among the best in the world.

Along with the Russian Navy's Borei-class ballistic missile submarines, the Yasen-class boats are reported to play a central role in Russia's defense and deterrence. The cruise missile subs were developed in the late 1980s by the St. Petersburg-based Malakhit Design Bureau of Machine-Building. It was initially intended to replace the aging Akula-class nuclear-powered attack submarines.

Only in the late 2000s, did Moscow return to the project, however, the Kremlin opted to relaunch the Yasen-class under the Yasen-M designation, which saw a slew of design tweaks and performance upgrades to address the roughly to-decade gap between Severodvinsk and the next Yasen-class submarine, Kazan.

Unlike older attack submarines built in the late Soviet period, the Yasen-M class boats were developed as multi-purpose vessels that could carry different weapons, including the most advanced new long-range Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missiles. There are ten silos for vertically launched cruise missiles, and according to reports, the submarines can also be equipped with Kalibr-PL and Oniks cruise missiles as their basic strike weapons. The Kazan is also equipped with the UKSK (3P-14B) vertical launch system comprised of 8SM-346 modules.

3. 🇬🇧 Astute-Class:

The UK Royal Navy's Astute-class were the first nuclear submarines in the world to be designed in a 3D computer-aided environment. While not as well known as their American or Russian counterparts, they are considered among some of the best on Earth.

The boats have been outfitted with many technological firsts, including not having an optical periscope. Instead, high-specification video technology has been employed, which enables the crew to scan the horizon and get a 360-degree view to address any potential threat.

In addition, unlike other nuclear-powered submarines, the Astute-class was developed to utilize state-of-the-art anti-acoustic tiles. Each hull is fitted with more than 39,000 acoustic tiles that mask the vessel’s sonar signature and allow the submarines to glide through the water almost silently.

The Astute-class submarines have stowage for 38 weapons and typically carry a mix of Spearfish heavy torpedoes and Tomahawk Block IV cruise missiles, which are capable of hitting a target within a few meters, to a range of 1,000 miles (1,600 km). The submarines' countermeasures suite includes decoys and electronic measures (ESM).

4. 🇺🇸 Virginia-Class:

At the end of the Cold War, the U.S. Navy shifted its focus from preparing for open-ocean conflict to dominating littoral areas. As a result, it developed its Virginia class to operate in the world's coastal and deep waters alike.

This has resulted in a flexible, multi-mission platform that can carry out anti-submarine, anti-surface, strike and irregular warfare, as well as operate in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. The Virginia-class submarine can be used to deliver special operations forces and also participate in mine warfare roles.

The Virginia class also offered several other innovations that have significantly enhanced its warfighting capabilities including an emphasis on its ability to conduct littoral operations. The subs feature a fly-by-wire ship control system, which improved the shallow-water ship handling, while the boats also have been outfitted to forces operations. The submarines' torpedo rooms can also be reconfigured to house a small unit of special operations forces such as Navy SEALs and their equipment. The class also features a large lock-in-lock chamber for divers.

5. 🇺🇸 Seawolf-Class:

Designed to address the threat of Soviet Russia ballistic missile submarines, and to replace the aging Los Angeles class of submarines, the Seawolf-­class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines (SSN) has been described as the best of the best.

It featured a modular design that allowed for later upgrades including weapons development and better sonar systems, and was thus very much "future-proof." It had a maximum speed of 35k dived and a 'silent' speed of 20k.

While the Seawolf-class does not have any external weapons, it was designed with eight torpedo tubes twice as many as the Los Angeles class, along with a double-deck torpedo room to allow for simultaneous engagement of multiple threats.

A total of 29 boats were to be constructed over a 10-year period – a number that was then reduced to 12 – but only three were launched. But then the Cold War ended, and the Seawolf-class may have been the best of the best.

Still, at approximately $3 to $3.5 billion per vessel, the program was simply too expensive, especially in the wake of changing global geopolitics.

Credit: National Interest

👍🏻 Like for Russian Subs, share for USA/NATO Subs

Russia 🇷🇺 all the way 💪

Crap.
Op doesn't know that there's a difference between SSBNS(ballistic missile submarines) and SSNS(nuclear attack submarines).

He just lump everything together, run to nairaland to post his usual bunkum

Before Ukraine war, Russia wanted to mount crazy weapons in Cuba but since US didn't know the exact capability of Russia, they reacted with tension.. Today, Ukraine has exposed everything and when Russia repeated it this year, United States responded saying they are not worried but watching closely..


Just one drone with crazy explosive, submarine go fall

Abeg, Nigeria get submarine? ...... I think we need a presidential submarine!!!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQWmXltVIj8

I see Tinubu building a submarine, I see it sinking on it's first sail.

This I have seen.

Really educative. Thank you.

If Nigeria appear for this list make I bend..
Na only for useless things Nigeria dey always come first

Impressive

For those that think Nigeria doesn't have one
Our submarine can fly if it wants to..


🇳🇬🇳🇬The Sapamatic 409 Hawk Destroyer..

nigeria nko







ye who slap me

WriterNig:
Five attack submarines stand out as the best in the world today:

Russia's Sierra II Class (Project 945A Kondor) and Yasen-Class (Project 885), the UK's Astute-class, and the U.S.'s Virginia-class and Seawolf-class.

These submarines are renowned for their advanced technology, multi-purpose capabilities, and powerful weaponry.

Each class features unique innovations, such as the titanium hulls of the Sierra II, the high-specification video technology of the Astute, and the modular design of the Seawolf, making them formidable assets in modern naval warfare.

Today, more than two dozen nations operate attack submarines, but these five classes stand out as the absolute best of the best.

1. 🇷🇺 Project 945A Kondor Class – Sierra II:






2. 🇷🇺 Project 885 Yasen Class – Severodvinsk:





3. 🇬🇧 Astute-Class:





4. 🇺🇸 Virginia-Class:





5. 🇺🇸 Seawolf-Class:





Credit: National Interest

I talk am say uk and us own no go dey inside water 🤣

Submarines were not made to be beautiful!

K

Nothing concern me but E dey mind


No Africa country

Where is Nigeria?

The USA have given Ukraine the nod to use American weapons inside Russia territory. What is Russia waiting for? I cannot imagine a country striking US mainland. Putin needs to live up to the hype

kwashiyorko:
The Russians obviously stand out among the others.

Lol you wish!

[sub][/sub]Pablo Escobar built one of the best, infact if not the best, submarine ever for the sole aim of transporting cocaine..

It took many years before they could be able to discovered it because it wasn’t traceable under water..

This is one of the strategies that made Pablo made a lot of money from drugs. He really made a lot. Pablo was richer than many countries..

World richest man of today no get money rich Pablo.

Most are Nuclear-powered
Nigeria will be Great Again.

Eteka1:
Russia 🇷🇺 all the way 💪

Yet can overrun Ukraine?

Ok dey whin yourself I'm sure it's one of you we read here yesterday that went to ed Russia army and crying for Russia citizenship thinking ing Russia give him automatic citizenship, make una dey play.

still waiting for 3rd world war

What about the US Seawolf Class....

We shall get there!

We don't need 1

We are not at war

SSpeter:
The USA have given Ukraine the nod to use American weapons inside Russia territory. What is Russia waiting for? I cannot imagine a country striking US mainland. Putin needs to live up to the hype

putin will soon respond with invisible nuclear missile

CHIDINMALOVE:
Abeg, Nigeria get submarine? ...... I think we need a presidential submarine!!!

Obidenze submarines are not meant to be traveled in for functions, they are built for WAR!

AKAMU

Eteka1:
Russia 🇷🇺 all the way 💪

Yinmu!
It's not good to be in self adulation,you know!
This your underestimation of other Countries,especially the American makes the Russians think they can just invade their neighbours anyhow e.g Ukraine and now thousands of their troops are dying,for unnecessary War by Putin.