Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:19:53-2:25:15

Why carrier submarines combine conflicting requirements

A carrier submarine must compromise the qualities that make both submarines and aircraft carriers effective.

Aircraft CarriersHybrid WarshipsSubmarine Aircraft CarriersSubmarinesWarship Design
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Question

What are the objections to carrier submarines?

Short answer

The launch and recovery cycle is the central objection; an SSGN can conduct a missile strike without waiting on the surface for aircraft.

Notes

A carrier submarine combines requirements that pull in opposite directions. It must carry a useful air group and spend time on the surface launching and recovering it. An SSGN avoids that problem by firing missiles without waiting on the surface for an air group to return. Proposals using disposable aircraft do not solve the recovery problem for a conventional carrier submarine.