With 72 submarines in service, the United States fields the largest underwater fighting force in the world. Stealthy and absolutely deadly against surface vessels, submarines are tasked with deterring foreign aggression, nuclear deterrence, intelligence gathering, and even providing fire support for land forces with land-attack missiles. But for most of a submarine's lifespan it will glide through the oceans of the world completely undetected and as they say: out of sight, out of mind. Hello and welcome to another episode of The Infographics Show- today we're taking a look at what life is like aboard a submarine. Not every man can be a submariner, and though it is a 100% all-volunteer force, the US Navy's submarine fleet has very stringent entry requirements. Individuals must be male, pass a series of academic tests, psychological evaluations, and intensive courses on the fundamentals of submarine operations. With deployments that can last for hundreds of days at a time and disaster being only one mistake away, the Navy must be confident that it is entrusting some of the most expensive weapons in its arsenal, and the hundred-plus lives within them, to only the most psychologically stable and academically qualified individuals.
