The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) has published updated data on the submarine forces of the US and Russia in the new edition of its Military Balance handbook. The US maintains an advantage in the total number of submarines, but in the strategic segment, the gap is minimal.
According to IISS analysts, as of early 2026, the US Navy will have 64 submarines. The core of the fleet consists of multi-purpose nuclear submarines of the Virginia class, as well as strategic missile carriers of the Ohio class.
The Russian fleet has about 53 submarines. These include strategic missile carriers of projects 955 "Borey" and 955A "Borey-A", as well as multi-purpose nuclear and diesel-electric submarines.
In the segment of strategic missile submarines, there is practically no gap. The US has 14 Ohio-class submarines, while Russia has 13 strategic nuclear submarines, a significant portion of which belong to new projects.
Earlier it became known that the Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering "Rubin" is carrying out design work on the creation of new generation submarines that will become part of the Navy.