Almost 20 years later, China launched its first nuclear-powered submarine, the Changzheng in 1974, and in the past decade has invested heavily in its sub-surface force. In central Asia, India commissioned its first nuclear boat in 2016, INS Arihant, and plans to build four more while Brazil’s first nuclear submarine, Álvaro Alberto, is due to enter service in 2032. France also planned to build a fleet of conventional powered submarines for the Australian government, but this has since been superseded by a deal in which Britain and America will build eight nuclear-powered attack vessels for the Canberra government. Nuclear powered submarines are increasingly preferred to conventional powered submarines. They do not need to be refuelled and can stay submerged for months at a time, allowing commanders to stay deployed for longer periods.
A nuclear submarine global flexibility and its ability to loiter anywhere, remaining covert, makes nuclear a favoured option. In 2001, a Royal Navy Trafalgar-class nuclear attack submarine took part in a cruise missile strike on Al-Qaeda and Taliban forces during following the attack on 11 September 2001. Then in April 2003, HMS returned home flying the Jolly Roger flag – after having launched 30 Tomahawk cruise missiles during the invasion of Iraq. As part of the UK’s military 2011 intervention in Libya, the Trafalgar-class submarine, HMS fired her Tomahawk cruise missiles on three occasions; first on 19 March, then again on 20 March, and finally on 24 March. Her primary targets were Libyan air-defence installations around the city of Sabha. HMS then returned to the UK on 3 April 2011 flying a Jolly Roger adorned with six small Tomahawk axes to indicate the missiles sailed to Australia, covering a distance of 41,000 miles while submerged and without any forward support. As of 2011, this remained the longest solo deployment by any British nuclear submarine.
