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SSN is the United States Navy Hull classification symbol for a general-purpose fast attack submarine. The SS denotes a submarine, and the N denotes nuclear power.

The US Navy (USN) submarine fleet has been all-nuclear powered for over two decades. The bulk of the USN's SSN fleet has been the Los Angeles class attack submarine. Designed during the Cold War the Los Angeles class boats raison d'etre was to protect USN carrier battle groups and to hunt Soviet Navy SSBNs before they could launch a first strike against the United States.

The first ever major combat action involving an SSN was during the 1982 Falklands War. The Argentinian cruiser the ARA General Belgrano was sunk by torpedoes fired by the Royal Navy fleet submarmine HMS Conqueror. After that incident, the Argentinian Navy was effectively confined to port.

Since the end of the Cold War, they have evolved into multi-mission submarines. Their roles include submarine launched cruise missile platforms, intelligence gathering platforms, insertion and exfiltration of special forces teams in addition to traditional hunter-killer SSN roles.

The advantages of an SSN over a conventionally powered SSK are much longer endurance, limited more by the crew than the boat, higher speed, and extremely quiet operation. Unlike most SSKs, SSNs do not have to surface periodically for air, which would compromise their stealth.

The disadvantages of an SSN are the technological challenges of building, refuelling and maintaining a nuclear power plant and the huge cost this entails.

The list of countries with the will and resources to deploy SSNs is short: it is an exclusive club. The following navies currently operate SSNs:

• United States Navy
• Royal Navy
• The Russian Navy
• The Chinese Navy: People's Liberation Army Navy
• The French Navy: Marine Nationale

Incidentally, these nations are also the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council

Contents 1 Active and future SSN classes 1.1 United States Navy SSN classes (in service) 1.2 Royal Navy SSN classes (in service) 1.3 Russian Navy SSN classes (in service) 1.4 Marine Nationale SSN classes (in service) 1.5 People's Liberation Army Navy SSN classes (in service) 2 United States Navy retired SSN classes 3 See also

• Los Angeles (SSN-688) (some have been retired)
• Seawolf (SSN-21)
• Virginia (SSN-774)

Known as "Fleet submarines" in the RN

• Swiftsure class submarine
• Trafalgar class submarine
• Astute class submarine - First in class, HMS ASTUTE, launched in July 2007

• Victor III class submarine
• Sierra I and Sierra II class submarines
• Akula class submarine
• Graney class submarine - in development

• Rubis class submarine
• Barracuda class submarines - in development

• Han class submarine (Type 091)
• Type 093 submarine

• USS Nautilus (SSN-571) (unique)
• USS Seawolf (SSN-575) (unique)
• Skate (SSN-578)
• Skipjack (SSN-585)
• USS Triton (SSN-586) (unique)
• USS Halibut (SSN-587)
• USS Thresher/Permit (SSN-594)
• USS Tullibee (SSN-597) (unique)
• Sturgeon (SSN-637)
• USS Narwhal (SSN-671) (unique)
• USS Glenard P. Lipscomb (SSN-685) (unique)

• SS
• SSB/SSBN
• SSG
• SSGN
• List of submarine classes
• List of submarine classes of the Royal Navy
• List of Soviet and Russian submarine classes
• List of United States submarine classes

v • d • e Current & future SSN classes
Rubis; Barracuda ·  Victor III, Sierra I & II, Akula; Graney ·  Los Angeles, Seawolf, Virginia ·  Swiftsure, Trafalgar; Astute ·  Type 091, Type 093