Editing Submarine (section)

===Women===
[[File:US Navy 100603-N-0000X-053 Midshipmen learn to pilot the submarine by training in the duties of the helm and planesman while underway aboard the Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine USS West Virginia (SSBN 736).jpg|thumb|[[Midshipman|Midshipmen]] learn to pilot {{USS|West Virginia|SSBN-736|6}}.]]

Most navies prohibited women from serving on submarines, even after they had been permitted to serve on surface warships. The [[Royal Norwegian Navy]] became the first navy to allow women on its submarine crews in 1985. The [[Royal Danish Navy]] allowed female submariners in 1988.<ref name="fesub">{{cite web|url=http://www.nato.int/docu/review/2001/0102-09.htm|title=NATO Review – Vol.49 – No 2 – Summer 2001: Women in uniform|publisher=Nato.int|date=31 August 2001|access-date=18 April 2010|archive-date=8 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160208185604/http://www.nato.int/docu/review/2001/0102-09.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> Others followed suit including the [[Swedish Navy]] (1989),<ref name="swedfem">{{cite web|url=http://www.rekryc.mil.se/article.php?id=11756|title=Historik|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927045646/http://www.rekryc.mil.se/article.php?id=11756 |archive-date=27 September 2007 |language=sv }}</ref><!-- might be earlier, but not before Norway; this figure is for the armed forces as a whole --> the [[Royal Australian Navy]] (1998), the [[Spanish Navy]] (1999),<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Virseda |first1=María del Carmen |title=La Mujer En Las Fuerzas Armadas |journal=Temas Profesionales |date=2014 |url=http://www.armada.mde.es/archivo/rgm/2014/11/cap06.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.boe.es/eli/es/l/1999/05/18/17|title=BOE-A-1999-11194 Ley 17/1999, de 18 de mayo, de Régimen del Personal de las Fuerzas Armadas.|pages=18751–18797}}</ref> the [[German Navy]] (2001) and the [[Royal Canadian Navy|Canadian Navy]] (2002). In 1995, [[Solveig Krey]] of the Royal Norwegian Navy became the first female officer to assume command on a military submarine, [[Kobben-class submarine|HNoMS ''Kobben'']].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mil.no/felles/fms/utdanning/start/jenter/historikk/|title=Forsvarsnett: Historikk|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060209224033/http://www.mil.no/felles/fms/utdanning/start/jenter/historikk/ |archive-date=9 February 2006 |language=no}}</ref>

On 8 December 2011, British [[Secretary of State for Defence|Defence Secretary]] [[Philip Hammond]] announced that the [[United Kingdom|UK]]'s ban on women in submarines was to be lifted from 2013.<ref name="Guardian women">{{cite news|first=Nick|last=Hopkins|title=Royal Navy will allow women to serve on submarines|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/dec/08/royal-navy-women-submarines|newspaper=The Guardian|date=8 December 2011|access-date=1 April 2012|location=London}}</ref> Previously there were fears that women were more at risk from a build-up of carbon dioxide in the submarine. But a study showed no medical reason to exclude women, though pregnant women would still be excluded.<ref name="Guardian women"/> Similar dangers to the pregnant woman and her fetus barred women from submarine service in Sweden in 1983, when all other positions were made available for them in the Swedish Navy. Today, pregnant women are still not allowed to serve on submarines in Sweden. However, the policymakers thought that it was discriminatory with a general ban and demanded that women should be tried on their individual merits and have their suitability evaluated and compared to other candidates. Further, they noted that a woman complying with such high demands is unlikely to become pregnant.<ref name="swedfem"/> In May 2014, three women became the RN's first female submariners.<ref>{{cite news|title=Royal Navy gets first female submariners|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27278588|access-date=5 May 2014|newspaper=BBC|date=5 May 2014}}</ref>

Women have served on US Navy surface ships since 1993, and {{as of|lc=y|2011|alt=as of 2011–2012}}, began serving on submarines for the first time. Until presently, the Navy allowed only three exceptions to women being on board military submarines: female civilian technicians for a few days at most, women [[midshipman|midshipmen]] on an overnight during summer training for Navy [[ROTC]] and [[United States Naval Academy|Naval Academy]], and family members for one-day dependent cruises.<ref>[http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/ships/submarines/centennial/faqs.html question #10] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060927230332/http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/ships/submarines/centennial/faqs.html |date=27 September 2006 }}</ref> In 2009, senior officials, including then-Secretary of the Navy [[Ray Mabus]], Joint Chief of Staff Admiral [[Michael Mullen]], and Chief of Naval Operations Admiral [[Gary Roughead]], began the process of finding a way to implement women on submarines.<ref name="Women should serve">{{cite news|newspaper=Navy Times|title=SecNav, CNO: Women should serve on subs|author1=William H. McMichael |author2=Andrew Scutro |name-list-style=amp |date=27 September 2009|url=http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/09/navy_roughead_subs_092409w/}}</ref> The US Navy rescinded its "no women on subs" policy in 2010.<ref name="women-on-virginia"/>

Both the US and British navies operate nuclear-powered submarines that deploy for periods of six months or longer. Other navies that permit women to serve on submarines operate conventionally powered submarines, which deploy for much shorter periods—usually only for a few months.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.csp.navy.mil/|title=Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet|website=www.csp.navy.mil}}</ref> Prior to the change by the US, no nation using nuclear submarines permitted women to serve on board.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/25/AR2009092503385.html?hpid=moreheadlines|title=Navy Seeks to Allow Women to Serve on Submarines|newspaper=The Washington Post|first=Ann|last=Scott Tyson|date=26 September 2009|access-date=18 April 2010}}</ref>

In 2011, the first class of female submarine officers graduated from Naval Submarine School's Submarine Officer Basic Course (SOBC) at the [[Naval Submarine Base New London]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Enter your Company or Top-Level Office|url=http://www.ct.gov/oma/cwp/view.asp?a=3422&q=483312|title=OMA: Female Sub School Grads Say They Fit Right In|publisher=Ct.gov|date=19 July 2011|access-date=27 December 2011}}</ref> Additionally, more senior ranking and experienced female supply officers from the surface warfare specialty attended SOBC as well, proceeding to fleet Ballistic Missile (SSBN) and Guided Missile (SSGN) submarines along with the new female submarine line officers beginning in late 2011.<ref>{{cite web|author=Commander, Submarine Group 10 Public Affairs|url=http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=52990|title=Navy Welcomes Women To Serve In Submarines|publisher=Navy.mil|access-date=27 December 2011|archive-date=6 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120506230557/http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=52990|url-status=dead}}</ref> By late 2011, several women were assigned to the ''Ohio''-class ballistic missile submarine {{USS|Wyoming|SSBN-742|6}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/12/12/report-12-sailors-implicated-in-submarine-shower-scandal.html?comp=7000023435630&rank=4|title=Report: 12 Sailors Implicated in Submarine Shower Scandal|work=Military.com|access-date=1 April 2015}}</ref> On 15 October 2013, the US Navy announced that two of the smaller ''Virginia''-class attack submarines, {{USS|Virginia|SSN-774|6}} and {{USS|Minnesota|SSN-783|6}}, would have female crew-members by January 2015.<ref name="women-on-virginia">{{cite news|url=http://news.usni.org/2013/10/15/navy-names-first-two-attack-boats-female-crew|title=Navy Names First Two Attack Boats to Have Female Crew|publisher=USNI News|date=15 October 2013|access-date=9 January 2014}}</ref>

In 2020, Japan's national naval submarine academy accepted its first female candidate.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Staff|date=22 January 2020|title=First woman enters Japan's submarine academy after end of restrictions|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/01/22/national/first-woman-enters-japans-submarine-academy/|access-date=16 July 2020|website=The Japan Times|language=en-US|archive-date=16 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716172443/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/01/22/national/first-woman-enters-japans-submarine-academy/|url-status=dead}}</ref>