The Future of the Los Angeles-class Submarines
The Los Angeles-class attack submarines of the United States Navy formed the backbone of America’s nuclear-powered attack submarine force for almost four decades.
The class’s origins lie in the latter years of the 1960s, during the Cold War, when the Soviet Union and the United States were engaged in intense competition.
Los Angeles-Class. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
APRA HARBOR, Guam (Jan. 17, 2023) – The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Key West (SSN 722) departs Apra Harbor, Guam, Jan. 17. Key West is one of five submarines assigned to Commander, Submarine Squadron 15. Commander, Submarine Squadron 15 is responsible for providing training, material and personnel readiness support to multiple Los Angeles-class fast attack submarines and is located at Polaris Point, Naval Base Guam. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Eric Uhden)
The Soviet Navy had a steadily growing number of submarines in service, subs that could sail quickly and deeply, embodied by the Victor and Charlie classes. These submarines posed a real threat to the sea lanes that connected the United States and Europe, to U.S. Navy carrier strike groups, and to NATO surface warships and submarines more broadly.
In response, the U.S. Navy envisioned a new class of submarines that would outclass its predecessors in operational depth, speed, and operational noise levels: the Los Angeles-class.
Though envisioned initially to counter Soviet submarines, the class also incorporated the ability to conduct strike missions and engage in anti-surface warfare.
The unique threat environment of that era significantly shaped the Los Angeles-class. The Los Angeles-class submarines were optimized for both speed and endurance.
Though the class’s capabilities are naturally unknown to the general public, they are thought to achieve underwater speeds in excess of 30 knots, with operational depth beyond 650 feet.
Thanks to their S6G pressurized-water nuclear reactors, the submarines’ range is limited only by crew sustainment requirements and the food they require. Though early-build Los Angeles-class submarines lacked the vertical launch systems integrated into subsequent Los Angeles submarines, both designs placed a premium on speed and stealth, optimizations that give the submarines a potent sub-hunting ability.
The cat-and-mouse game of the Cold War saw the Soviets deploy quieter, more advanced submarines, such as the Akula-class, in the mid-1980s.
In response to this class and other Soviet naval improvements, the U.S. Navy refined the Los Angeles-class design, culminating in the 688i, or “improved” Los Angeles-class, entering service.
The improvements to the class included a more powerful sonar suite, structural reinforcements for better under-ice performance, quieter operation, and the integration of 12 vertical launch tubes that housed Tomahawk cruise missiles, giving the submarines a potent land-attack capability.
NAVAL BASE GUAM (Dec. 11, 2024) – The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Annapolis (SSN 760) transits Apra Harbor, Naval Base Guam, Dec. 11, 2024. Assigned to Commander, Submarine Squadron 15, based at Polaris Point, Naval Base Guam, Annapolis is one of five forward-deployed fast-attack submarines. Renowned for their unparalleled speed, endurance, stealth, and mobility, fast-attack submarines are the backbone of the Navy’s submarine force. Regarded as apex predators of the sea, Guam’s fast-attack submarines serve at the tip of the spear, helping to reaffirm the submarine force’s forward-deployed presence in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. James Caliva)
Rather than serving primarily as anti-submarine platforms, the Los Angeles-class submarines, with the 688i improvements, became more flexible, multi-mission platforms that could not only find and hunt down Soviet submarines but also project power onto distant shores.
A Production Shortcoming and the Relationship with the Australians
There has long been talk of transferring Los Angeles-class submarines to Australia as part of the tripartite nuclear propulsion-sharing agreement among the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
Though the Royal Australian Navy should accept its own bespoke nuclear-powered submarines into service sometime in the 2040s, the Los Angeles-class submarines could remain in service for training until then.
But the question now is: will they retain any operational relevance in light of their age?
There are arguments on both sides of that question, but perhaps one of the more pressing questions looks at the Los Angeles-class submarine’s age.
In a recent opinion piece published in War on the Rocks, Rear Admiral Peter Briggs, a retired submariner of the Royal Australian Navy, opined on the case of the rapid retirement of the Los Angeles-class submarines — and what the implications for the Australians and the burgeoning underwater relationship with the United States and Canberra could look like.
The picture, as Rear Admiral Briggs described it, is less than ideal.
“What will be the U.S. Navy’s nuclear submarine situation in 2032?” Briggs asks. As of his writing earlier this spring, the U.S. Navy has 49 nuclear-powered submarines in service, including nearly two dozen Los Angeles-class submarines.
“The Los Angeles-class submarines are typically decommissioned after 36 years in service. By 2032 when the first Virginia-class submarine is to be sold to Australia, the youngest, the USS Cheyenne, will be 36 years old. The first two Seawolf-class nuclear submarines will also be reaching their end of life. The Congressional Research Service has advised that up to seven are being considered for life extension programs. At least in the view of this experienced submariner, they cannot be considered frontline submarines despite their many updates. Age catches up with us all.”
“The fork in the road on whether the United States can sell Australia its first of three of five frontline nuclear submarines appears likely to coincide with the nadir in U.S. Navy attack submarine numbers. In 2032 the U.S. Navy will have, in the best-case scenario, 42 attack submarines if you count the seven aging Los Angeles-class submarines. The accepted requirement is for 66. This is a 36 percent shortfall — and again that is in the best case. In the worst case, the shortfall could be as high as 47 percent.”
Los Angeles-Class: The Submarine That Fathertime Can’t Beat?
While the Los Angeles-class submarines now retain some relevance, integrating new optimizations and improvements could prove challenging given their prior modifications and age.
Though certainly more capable than the Royal Australian Navy’s current fleet of Collins-class submarines — those submarines are widely regarded as not entirely capable — the question perhaps should be, would the Los Angeles-class submarines be capable in light of advancements in China’s underwater capabilities?
And that question, despite its importance, remains to be seen.
About the Author: Caleb Larson
Caleb Larson is an American multiformat journalist based in Berlin, Germany. His work covers the intersection of conflict and society, focusing on American foreign policy and European security. He has reported from Germany, Russia, and the United States. Most recently, he covered the war in Ukraine, reporting extensively on the war’s shifting battle lines from Donbas and writing on the war’s civilian and humanitarian toll. Previously, he worked as a Defense Reporter for POLITICO Europe. You can follow his latest work on X.
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