Do Military Submarines Have Escape Pods? Here's How The Crew Gets Out Safely

When a military submarine is disabled (often referred to as DISSUB) while submerged, the crew of the vessel have two options. They can either wait for rescue crews to arrive or they can escape on their own. Prior to 1930, a means for a submarine crew to escape was non-existent. There were eight submarine incidents that resulted in submariners losing their life because of this. The world navies started developing methods to increase the survival rate for sailors aboard a disabled submarine by 1928, but that didn't include escape pods. Some countries, like Russia, do utilize escape pods. 

After the terrifying torpedo explosion on the Kursk that killed around 120 sailors, you would think any government would prioritize methods for escape. Despite some of the worst submarine disasters, the U.S. Navy has never included escape pods on its submarines. While American sailors are rigorously trained how to escape a DISSUB, they're encouraged to wait for rescue teams instead since it's safer, and escape is a last resort. 

In the off-chance that they need a mode of egress from a DISSUB, the sailors don what's called a submarine escape immersion equipment (SEIE) suit. It's a full-body suit that protects the wearer from freezing temperatures they're certain to experience deep beneath the ocean's surface. It's also rated to protect the wearer at depths of 600 feet (though it shoul dbe noted that military submarines can dive deeper) and assists with floating once they're on the surface with a built-in life raft. This was not the first iteration of gear used by U.S. submariners, though.

American sailors didn't start using the modern-day SEIE, pronounced simply as "sigh," until 2005. There were three other escape contraptions that came before it, starting with the Momsen Lung, which was developed in 1928. Named after its creator, Charles Momsen, and used until 1957, the Momsen Lung was essentially a rebreather that removed carbon dioxide from the wearer's exhaled breath and returned breathable air to them as they ascended to the surface. It also provided some floatation support as it was worn around the neck. Unfortunately, if sailors didn't breathe as they trained, they put themselves at risk of developing an air embolism or carbon dioxide poisoning, which would result in death. 

The U.S. Navy determined that ascending to the surface without a rebreather was safer, so it started training sailors to free ascend in the '50s with a technique called the buoyant ascent technique. In this scenario, submariners wore a life vest around their necks and exhaled the whole way to the surface. This technique didn't protect completely against ruptured lungs or arterial embolisms, though. One little mistake in breathing could result in death. 

The next device, known as the Steinke hood, was a simple device but made breathing significantly easier than anything prior. As the name implies, it was a hood attached to an inflatable lifejacket. The hood completely covered the sailor's head, creating an air pocket for them to breathe normally as they swim to the ocean's surface. It reduced panic and was rated for use at 300 feet or less.