Submarine squadron


A submarine squadron is a naval formation or unit in such states such as the United Kingdom, United States, and Russia/Soviet Union. In France the equivalent unit is the escadrille des sous-marins nucléaires d'attaque, part of the French submarine forces.

Royal Navy

Submarine flotillas became submarine divisions in 1952.
was a Porpoise-class submarine belonging first to Faslane's 3rd Submarine Squadron and then to Singapore's 7th Submarine Squadron.
From the early 1960s the structure was:
In 1971 HMNB Clyde at Faslane in Scotland was home to the Third Submarine Squadron of Nuclear Fleet and Diesel Patrol Submarines, 'the fighters', and the 10th Submarine Squadron consisting of the four Polaris submarines, 'the bombers'. The Base also conducted the training of all submarines before they joined their Squadrons and this was known as 'work up'. On the decommissioning of the Polaris submarines the 10th Submarine Squadron re-equipped with ballistic missile submarines.
1st Submarine Squadron was located at HMS Dolphin during the early 1990s. In 2001, the five s were part of the 1st Submarine Squadron based at Faslane and the seven boats were with the Second Submarine Squadron at Devonport.
See List of squadrons and flotillas of the Royal Navy.

United States Navy

Up until World War II and for a little after, submarine squadrons could have several Submarine Divisions, often pairs of submarines. Reserve submarine divisions also existed after World War II.
A SUBRON usually consists of three or more submarines. It is the submarine force equivalent to a destroyer squadron in the surface Navy. The officer in charge of SUBRON ONE is designated Commander Submarine Squadron One or COMSUBRON ONE. However, unlike a destroyer squadron—which actually moves its staff aboard its ships and deploys with them as an operational Task Element commander—a SUBRON commander and his staff always remain in homeport, and are responsible only for the training, equipping and administering of the ships under its umbrella. A submarine squadron is usually commanded by a Captain who has already had at least one tour as commander of a submarine.
Several submarine squadrons may be organized into a Submarine Group, headed under a flag officer. For instance, SUBRON 17, SUBRON 19 and DEVRON 5 are part of SUBGRU 9 in Bangor, Washington. The overall responsibility for submarines on the west coast of the United States is taken by the Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet ; on the east coast, the same responsibility rests with the Commander Submarine Force, Atlantic Fleet. The latter is the senior of the two, and thus also plays a secondary role as Commander, Submarine Force.
When a submarine deploys, for instance as part of a carrier strike group, operational command is transferred to the numbered fleet commander for the theater to which the submarine is deploying, e.g., Commander Fifth Fleet.

List of submarine squadrons

Odd numbered squadrons are West Coast, even numbered East Coast.

Pacific Fleet squadrons

Squadron nameBaseStatusNotes
Submarine Squadron 1
Naval Station Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii		Active
Submarine Squadron 3
Naval Station Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii		Decommissioned Consolidated under SUBRON 1 & 7 in 2012
Submarine Development Squadron 5
Naval Base Kitsap
Bangor, Washington		Active
Submarine Squadron 7
Naval Station Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii		Active
Submarine Squadron 11
Naval Base Point Loma
San Diego, California		Active
Submarine Squadron 15
Naval Base Guam
Apra Harbor, Guam		Active
Submarine Squadron 17
Naval Base Kitsap
Bangor, Washington		Active
Submarine Squadron 19
Naval Base Kitsap
Bangor, Washington		Active
Submarine Squadron 21
Manama, BahrainActive

Atlantic Fleet squadrons

Squadron nameBaseStatusNotes
Submarine Squadron 2
Naval Submarine Base New London
Groton, Connecticut		Decommissioned Consolidated under SUBRON 4 in 2012
Submarine Squadron 4
Naval Submarine Base New London
Groton, Connecticut		Active
Submarine Squadron 6
Naval Station Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia		Active
Submarine Squadron 8
Naval Station Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia		Decommissioned Consolidated under SUBRON 6 in 2011
Submarine Squadron 10
Naval Submarine Base New London
Groton, Connecticut		Decommissioned First all nuclear submarine squadron. Originally activated during World War II. Stationed at State Pier in New London, Connecticut from circa 1951 to 1991.
Submarine Squadron 12
Naval Submarine Base New London
Groton, Connecticut		SUBDEVRON 12 changed to Submarine Squadron 12 in 2016Prior to 1 May 1977 was designated Submarine Development Group 2.
Submarine Squadron 14
Holy Loch, ScotlandDecommissioned Fleet Ballistic Missile submarine squadron. Headquarters was at Submarine Base in Groton, Connecticut. Submarines were forward deployed to Holy Loch, Scotland.
Submarine Squadron 16
Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay
King's Bay, Georgia		Active
Submarine Squadron 20
Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay
King's Bay, Georgia		ActiveWith Asiatic Fleet on December 7, 1941.
Submarine Squadron 22
La Maddalena, Italy1972–2008Known as Submarine Refit and Training Group La Maddalena until the mid-1980s

List of submarine groups

Group nameBaseSquadronsStatusNotes
Submarine Group 2Naval Submarine Base New London
Groton, Connecticut		DEVGRU2, DEVRON 12/SUBRON 12, SUBRONs 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 14Disestablished on August 22, 2014Established in August 1975. Prior to mid-1970s was named Submarine Flotilla 2. Re-etablished on 1 October 2019.
Submarine Group 7Yokosuka, JapanSUBRON 15ActiveAlso functions as CTF-74 under Seventh Fleet, and as CTF-54 under Fifth Fleet
Submarine Group 8Naples, ItalyActiveAlso functions as CTF-64 and CTF-69 under Sixth Fleet
Submarine Group 9Bangor, WADEVRON 5, SUBRONs 17 and 19Active
Submarine Group 10Kings Bay, GASUBRONs 16 and 20Active