When it comes to modern warfare, submarines are an indispensable asset and they have been since their advent in World War II. At that time, these submersibles carried out covert strikes on Axis and Allied vessels alike, ultimately finding a place for themselves as a tactical necessity in any navy. However, over the years, only the top quartile of naval forces on the planet have accumulated a significant amount of submarines, and most reside within NATO forces. (This nation has the largest navy in the world.)
Less than half of all NATO members own military submarines, but this is a far cry from most other military powers around the world with the exception of Russia and China. Although what makes NATO truly powerful is its combined air force, these submarines add significantly to the alliance and its control of the high seas.
To determine the NATO countries with the most military submarines, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed GlobalFirePower, an annually-updated website tracking defense-related statistics of 145 nations. Countries were ranked by the number of military submarines in active service. We also added the GlobalFirePower PowerIndex score, which denotes a country’s overall military strength, with lower scores denoting greater power. We included supplemental information regarding total naval fleet size per country and the types of submarines in each fleet. We excluded countries that did not have any submarines in their navy.
The United States is host to one of the largest fleets of submarines in the world and one of the most advanced. The subs within its fleet include the Ohio-class, Los Angeles-class and Virginia-class to name a few. The Ohio-class is perhaps the most famous of the group as it carries a significant amount of nuclear warheads that are capable of striking targets thousands of miles away. (The Navy’s hidden arsenal: submarines and hidden military tech of today.)
Here is a look at the NATO countries with the most submarines:
14. Poland
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Number of submarines in active service: 1
- Total naval fleet size: 45 – #15 out of 32 NATO countries
- GlobalFirepower PowerIndex score: 0.2917 – #21 most powerful out of 145 countries
- Submarines in fleet: Kilo-class, Kobben-class
13. Portugal
Source: usnavy / Flickr
- Number of submarines in active service: 2
- Total naval fleet size: 113 – #10 out of 32 NATO countries
- GlobalFirepower PowerIndex score: 0.5609 – #38 most powerful out of 145 countries
- Submarines in fleet: Type 209, Tridente-class
12. Netherlands
Source: archer10 / Flickr
- Number of submarines in active service: 3
- Total naval fleet size: 112 – #11 out of 32 NATO countries
- GlobalFirepower PowerIndex score: 0.5644 – #40 most powerful out of 145 countries
- Submarines in fleet: Walrus-class
11. Spain
Source: ooocha / Flickr
- Number of submarines in active service: 3
- Total naval fleet size: 168 – #7 out of 32 NATO countries
- GlobalFirepower PowerIndex score: 0.2882 – #20 most powerful out of 145 countries
- Submarines in fleet: Peral-class
10. Canada
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Number of submarines in active service: 4
- Total naval fleet size: 67 – #13 out of 32 NATO countries
- GlobalFirepower PowerIndex score: 0.3813 – #27 most powerful out of 145 countries
- Submarines in fleet: Victoria-class
9. Sweden
Source: mikecogh / Flickr
- Number of submarines in active service: 5
- Total naval fleet size: 353 – #2 out of 32 NATO countries
- GlobalFirepower PowerIndex score: 0.4009 – #29 most powerful out of 145 countries
- Submarines in fleet: Abborren-class, Laxen-class
8. Norway
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Number of submarines in active service: 6
- Total naval fleet size: 25 – #18 out of 32 NATO countries
- GlobalFirepower PowerIndex score: 0.5664 – #41 most powerful out of 145 countries
- Submarines in fleet: Ula-class
7. Germany
Source: Aastels / Shutterstock.com
- Number of submarines in active service: 6
- Total naval fleet size: 64 – #14 out of 32 NATO countries
- GlobalFirepower PowerIndex score: 0.2847 – #19 most powerful out of 145 countries
- Submarines in fleet: 212A
6. Italy
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Number of submarines in active service: 8
- Total naval fleet size: 309 – #3 out of 32 NATO countries
- GlobalFirepower PowerIndex score: 0.1863 – #10 most powerful out of 145 countries
- Submarines in fleet: Argonauta-class, Balilla-class
5. France
Source: dennisvdw / iStock via Getty Images
- Number of submarines in active service: 9
- Total naval fleet size: 128 – #8 out of 32 NATO countries
- GlobalFirepower PowerIndex score: 0.1878 – #11 most powerful out of 145 countries
- Submarines in fleet: Rubis-class, Suffren-class, Triomphant-class
4. United Kingdom
Source: Handout / Getty Images News via Getty Images
- Number of submarines in active service: 10
- Total naval fleet size: 117 – #9 out of 32 NATO countries
- GlobalFirepower PowerIndex score: 0.1443 – #6 most powerful out of 145 countries
- Submarines in fleet: Vanguard-class, Trafalgar-class
3. Greece
Source: usnavy / Flickr
- Number of submarines in active service: 11
- Total naval fleet size: 187 – #5 out of 32 NATO countries
- GlobalFirepower PowerIndex score: 0.4349 – #32 most powerful out of 145 countries
- Submarines in fleet: Glavkos-class, Okeanos-class
2. Turkey
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Number of submarines in active service: 12
- Total naval fleet size: 186 – #6 out of 32 NATO countries
- GlobalFirepower PowerIndex score: 0.1697 – #8 most powerful out of 145 countries
- Submarines in fleet: Balao-class, Dumlupinar, Sakarya
1. United States
- Number of submarines in active service: 64
- Total naval fleet size: 472 – #1 out of 32 NATO countries
- GlobalFirepower PowerIndex score: 0.0699 – #1 most powerful out of 145 countries
- Submarines in fleet: Ohio-class, Los Angeles-class, Virginia-class
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