US nuclear submarines used to be broken down into two types: attack subs, mostly USS Los Angeles class, and ballistic missile submarines largely USS Ohio class called "Boomers".
With the end of the Cold War that changed, and now the US fleet is becoming populated with Seawolf and Virginia Class subs.
Both vessels are among the most technologically advanced creations ever built, crammed with cutting edge electronics and crew accommodations; all within a 300-foot-long tube, filled with 100 sailors, and submerged beneath the sea for several months at a time.
Nuclear submarines are an innovation that changed warfare, and here we look at two the newest vessel types in the US fleet.
The USS Seawolf, the first of its class, was launched in 1995 and designed to replace the Los Angeles class of nuclear attack subs
The USS Connecticut, second in the Seawolf class, is 353 feet long and weighs 9,137 tons fully loaded
The USS Connecticut has made numerous journeys to the arctic circle and allows for unique access to the expansive ice fields
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