Dozens Have Been Built

Given how expensive they can be, it may come as a surprise that, so many have been constructed over the years. The US fleet includes more than 160 nuclear-powered ships that are fueled by more than 200 reactors. And 68 of them are submarines. Of course, the US is not the only country on the oceans.

China presently possesses 12 nuclear submarines, compared to Russia's 29, the UK's 11, France's 8, India's 1, and Australia's impending acquisition of some. Two American and seven Soviet/Russian submarines have been sunk over the years, typically as a consequence of accidents. Others have also been decommissioned in large numbers.