Sturgeon-Class: The Navy Nuclear Submarine Russia Feared for a Reason

What You Need to Know: The Sturgeon-class submarines served as the backbone of the U.S. Navy's Cold War-era submarine fleet before being succeeded by the Los Angeles-class.

-Designed for hunting enemy submarines, the Sturgeon-class boats were an enlarged, stealthier version of the Thresher/Permit-class and featured advanced sonar, torpedo control systems, and the ability to launch Sub-Harpoon and Tomahawk missiles.

-Thirty-seven Sturgeon-class submarines were built between 1963 and 1975.