Submarine Fleets by Country: Who Has the Most Submarines?
The US and Russia each have 66 submarines and China 61. But nuclear and diesel boats are very different weapons. Submarine fleets by country in 2026.
Submarines are among the most important and least visible parts of any navy. A submarine that cannot be found cannot be destroyed, which makes submarines the backbone of nuclear deterrence for several countries, and one of the most dangerous threats to an enemy’s surface ships.
| # | Country | Submarines |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇺🇸 United States | 66 |
| 2 | 🇷🇺 Russia | 66 |
| 3 | 🇨🇳 China | 61 |
| 4 | 🇮🇷 Iran | 25 |
| 5 | 🇰🇵 North Korea | 24 |
| 6 | 🇯🇵 Japan | 23 |
| 7 | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 22 |
| 8 | 🇮🇳 India | 18 |
| 9 | 🇹🇷 Turkey | 14 |
| 10 | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 10 |
| 11 | 🇫🇷 France | 9 |
| 12 | 🇮🇹 Italy | 8 |
| 13 | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 8 |
| 14 | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 8 |
| 15 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 6 |
The big three
The United States and Russia each have 66 submarines by Global Firepower’s 2026 count, and China has 61. After that there is a steep drop: no other country in our dataset has more than 25.
The numbers are similar, but the fleets are not. Every American submarine is nuclear-powered, which lets it stay submerged for months, travel at high speed and operate anywhere in the world. Russia’s fleet is a mix of nuclear boats, including some very capable modern attack and missile submarines, and diesel-electric boats used closer to home. China’s fleet is mostly diesel-electric, with a smaller but growing number of nuclear attack and missile submarines.
Nuclear vs diesel
Nuclear-powered submarines can stay underwater almost indefinitely, limited mainly by food and crew endurance. They are the only practical way to keep missile submarines on patrol in distant oceans or to escort carrier groups. Only six countries operate them: the US, Russia, China, the UK, France and India.
Diesel-electric submarines must surface or use a snorkel to recharge their batteries, which makes them easier to detect over long patrols. But they are quieter at low speed, much cheaper, and well suited to defending coastal waters. Modern designs with air-independent propulsion can stay submerged for weeks.
The middle tier
Iran (25) and North Korea (24) have large submarine fleets for their size, but many are small coastal or midget submarines designed for ambush, mine-laying and special operations in shallow waters. North Korea also has submarines it has used to test ballistic missiles.
Japan (23) and South Korea (22) operate some of the most advanced conventional submarines in the world. India (18) operates a mix that includes nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. Turkey (14) has a substantial fleet of German-designed boats.
Australia’s nuclear future
Australia has six Collins-class diesel submarines. Under the AUKUS agreement with the US and UK, it plans to acquire nuclear-powered attack submarines, first by buying American Virginia-class boats and later by building a new design with Britain. That would make it only the seventh country with nuclear-powered submarines, and the first to get them without having nuclear weapons.
Why submarine counts matter
Submarines are especially important in a possible conflict in the western Pacific, where the US and its allies would rely heavily on them to threaten Chinese ships. They are also the most survivable leg of the nuclear triad, which is why the UK and France base most or all of their deterrent on them. See deployed vs stored nuclear warheads for more on how submarines fit into nuclear strategy.