A bird's eye view of the maintenance drydock with L' Inflexible nuclear submarine, prior to the visit of French President Nicolas Sarkozy at L'Ile Longue military base in Brittany, France, on July 13, 2007.
Francois Mori/Getty Images
L' Inflexible nuclear submarine. See more pictures of submarines.

Submarines are incredible pieces of technology. Not so long ago, a naval force worked entirely above the water; with the addition of the submarine to the standard naval arsenal, the world below the surface became a battleground as well.

The adaptations and inventions that allow sailors to not only fight a battle, but also live for months or even years underwater are some of the most brilliant developments in military history.

In this article, you will see how a submarine dives and surfaces in the water, how life support is maintained, how the submarine gets its power, how a submarine finds its way in the deep ocean and how submarines might be rescued.



­

­ ­­


­