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Submarine

United States Legacy

General Dynamics Electric Boat

Los Angeles-class Submarine

Cold War-era nuclear fast-attack submarine that was the backbone of the U.S. Navy's undersea fleet for decades, with 62 boats built. Remaining hulls are being progressively retired as Virginia-class boats enter service.

In service since 1976 · 1 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

290

m depth

6,927

129

crew

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

US ITAR-controlled

Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.

Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale

Fielded & proven

Limited · 1 operator

In service since 1976. Status: legacy · ~62 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →

Interoperability

Mk 41 VLS-class

Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Compatible munitions & weapons

Publicly reported weapons the Los Angeles-class Submarine can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.

Mk 48 torpedo

Tomahawk

Harpoon

Full specifications

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Firepower specifications
VLS cells Vertical-launch missile cells on a warship, a proxy for magazine depth. Higher means more missiles before rearming.	12 Stronger than 38% of submarines
Torpedo tubes Number of torpedo tubes (submarines and some surface ships).	4 Stronger than 15% of submarines

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Physical specifications
Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.	110.3 m

Naval

Displacement, speed, endurance and diving depth.

Naval specifications
Displacement Standard displacement in tonnes, the ship’s size class. Larger hulls carry more but cost more and are less agile.	6,927 t
Max speed Top speed in knots (surfaced, for submarines). Higher aids positioning and screening.	25 kn Stronger than 80% of submarines
Submerged speed Maximum speed while submerged (submarines). Higher is faster underwater.	25 kn Stronger than 73% of submarines
Test depth Maximum rated diving depth (submarines). Deeper is harder to detect and engage. Actual crush depth is classified.	290 m Stronger than 29% of submarines
Complement Crew size. Fewer eases manning cost; more may indicate a larger, more capable platform.	129
Propulsion plant Machinery type, nuclear reactor, gas turbine (COGAG), CODAG, diesel-electric, AIP.	1x S6G nuclear reactor

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Program specifications
Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.	62 Top 5% of submarines
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.	1 Stronger than 39% of submarines

Specifications compiled from public General Dynamics Electric Boat and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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