The Nuclear Missile Designed To Destroy Submarines
Seems like overkill
Submarines were instrumental weapons platforms in both World War I and World War II. Many people believed that submarines were the weapon of the future, and development went into improving general submarine design. By the 1950s, submarines were quieter and faster than their predecessors. They could approach nearly silently and attack from much greater ranges than previous generations.
Submarines took another leap forward in 1954 with the invention of the nuclear powered submarine, which allowed subs to remain submerged for far longer and have a nearly unlimited range. The result was that old weapons could no longer confidently combat the advantages that submarines present. Navies used to rely on depth charges and torpedoes to counter submarines, but with the new technology, these could no longer be relied upon.
To replace the previous generation of weapons, the United States and the Soviet Union began developing Anti-Submarine Rockets, which were small missiles launched from ships that could hit submarines from much farther away. (For something wild, look up the Soviet Union’s Cold War anti-submarine missiles. They were missiles with torpedoes strapped to the bellies.)
