Los Angeles-class submarine

The Los Angeles class of submarines are nuclear-powered fast-attack submarines (SSN) in service with the United States Navy. Also known as the 688 class (pronounced "six-eighty-eight") after the hull number of lead vessel USS Los Angeles (SSN-688), 62 were built from 1972 to 1996, the latter 23 to an improved 688i standard. As of 2026, 23 of the Los Angeles class remain in commission with 4 of those inactive in reserve, and they account for almost half of the U.S. Navy's 50 fast-attack submarines. Submarines of this class are named after American towns and cities, such as Albany, New York; Los Angeles, California; and Tucson, Arizona, with the exception of USS Hyman G.

Developed in the late 1970s to expand the land-attack capabilities of the United States Navy, the Flight II variant of the Los Angeles-class submarine entered service in 1985 with the commissioning of USS Providence (SSN-719). This subclass was specifically designed to house 12 vertical launch tubes in the bow section, allowing the deployment of cruise missiles without sacrificing valuable torpedo room space. These submarines saw extensive combat deployment during the Gulf War in 1991 and subsequent conflicts in the Middle East, demonstrating the strategic utility of submarine-launched precision land strikes. Although many Flight II hulls have since been decommissioned in favor of the newer Virginia-class, they pioneered the multi-mission strike role that defines modern American fast attack submarines.