Steve Weintz
Until the missile age, a wide variety of naval missions and vessels tried applying the submarine’s advantages to best use. From early on, planners envisioned submarines carrying out commerce raiding, minelaying, shore bombardment and intelligence collection—besides the sub’s obvious role in fleet attack.
Navies around the world are arming their undersea forces with missiles filling the roles guns filled long ago—shore bombardment, anti-ship and anti-air. Will energy weapons perhaps eventually fill this longstanding role in unexpected ways?
A century ago submarines presented as much of a challenge for naval war planners as drones do today. Like airborne and surface stealth decades later, underwater stealth was a game-changer—but how to use it?
http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/the-battleship-submarine-the-ultimate-weapon-22474
