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Question:

How deep do US Navy submarines usually go? How long can they stay without coming up for air?

I would like to know how deep US Navy submarines usually go, how deep they can go without damage, and how long they can stay underwater. How do they obtain fresh air? Are most submarines today nuclear or diesel? Why don't subs have windows? How do they get supplied? What are qualifications to serve on a submarine?

Answer:

All the other answers have been pretty much off base. Why would any submarine need to go greater than 2000 feet? Imagine the pressure on the seawater systems. Tons of leaks, no matter how good it's engineered. But anywayAll depth and speed capabilities of US submarines are classified. All US submarines are currently nuclear powered, but have a diesel generator as a sort of underway emergency electrical power, usually not run. Clean air for the crew's life support, and normal ship's systems is made via an oxygen generator that separates hydrogen and oxygen found in water. However this is inadequate for running the ships diesel. The ship does have a sort of blowhole called the snorkle, that can intake fresh air from the surface while maintaining the boat underwater to be used for the diesel, or to ventilate the ship very effectively with fresh air. This is always welcome, because oxygen content of fresh air is normally higher than that of the recirculated air. Also, the recirculated air smells like chemicals and makes your clothes smell and your cigarettes taste like garbage. Submarines don't have windows that go out, because it would be pointless underwater, and on the surface the boat is steered from the bridge. Clean water is made from steam, provided from the ship's reactor. The time spent underwater is only limited by food. Qualifications are stringent, in that you have to be medically and psychologically sound, and you have to be qualify for and be able to do the job to which you are assigned.
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The American nuclear seawolf class submarines can dive to about 2400 feet (730 m). Although the truth is likely to be deeper as the full knowledge of submarine depth is kept secret in a lot of case's. It is said that most nuclear submarines can stay under water for a year but i am not sure if this has been tested. In reality a normal tour for a nuclear submarine is about 3 months of staying under water. The only thing that stops a nuclear submarine from surfacing really is it running out of supplies. It has to resurface to take on food and other supplies for the human inhabitants that live and work on it. Diesel-electric submarines can last 2-3 weeks under water before resurfacing. Diesel/battery submarines do not dive very deep. These are quick attack sub's and often carry cruise missiles that they launch from just below the surface. There is special machinery on board that recycles and purifies the air. When a sub surfaces it take on natural air through hatches or snorkel (Diesel subs). Submarines do not have windows because they are useless. It is dark under water so you will not see anything and navigation is done by sonar so there is no use for windows. The goal of a sub is to stay undetected so sailing around with windows and lights beaming everywhere isn't wise.
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