Women in Submarines - Breaking Barriers Below the Surface

Women serve on all SSBNs, SSGNs, and an increasing number of SSNs. Integration began with larger submarines (Ohio-class) where separate berthing was more feasible, then expanded to Virginia-class SSNs. The goal is full integration across the submarine force. Female submarine officers have served as department heads and executive officers.

Women serve on all classes of Royal Navy submarines including Vanguard-class SSBNs and Astute-class SSNs. Integration followed a thorough review that concluded the recycled atmosphere and radiation exposure posed no greater health risk to women than to men. The Submarine Service actively recruits women.

Australia was one of the earliest major navies to integrate women on submarines. Women have served on Collins-class submarines for over 25 years and will serve on the future AUKUS SSNs. Australia's experience has been cited as a model by other navies considering integration.

As the first nation to integrate women on submarines, Norway has the longest experience. Women have served in all submarine roles including command positions. Norway's successful integration demonstrated the viability of mixed-gender submarine crews and influenced other Scandinavian nations.

Sweden has a long history of women on submarines. The Swedish Navy's progressive policies have resulted in women serving across all submarine positions. Sweden's Gotland-class submarines, famous for their stealth capability, have had mixed-gender crews for over three decades.

The Russian Navy does not currently allow women to serve on submarines. Russian military culture has been slower to adopt gender integration in combat roles. There has been limited public discussion of changing this policy, though some Russian naval analysts have suggested it may eventually follow the Western trend.

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force does not currently assign women to submarine crews, though women serve in many other naval roles. Cultural factors and the compact size of Japanese submarines (limited habitability modification options) are cited as reasons. Policy discussions are ongoing.

When did women first serve on submarines?

The first navy to integrate women into submarine crews was the Royal Norwegian Navy, which began allowing women on submarines in 1985. Sweden followed in 1989, and Australia in 1998. The US Navy announced women would serve on submarines in 2010, with the first female officers reporting aboard SSBNs in late 2011 and the first enlisted women joining submarine crews in 2016. The Royal Navy opened submarine service to women in 2011, with the first women qualifying in 2014. Each navy took a different path to integration, and the timeline reflects evolving attitudes toward gender in military service as well as practical considerations around submarine habitability and crew accommodation.

Why were women excluded from submarines for so long?

Several reasons contributed to the long exclusion of women from submarine service. The official justifications included: extremely limited privacy and habitability space making separate berthing and hygiene facilities impractical, concerns about the effects of recycled atmosphere and radiation exposure on reproductive health (studies later showed these concerns were largely unfounded for modern nuclear submarines), combat exclusion policies that barred women from direct combat roles (submarines being inherently combat platforms), and cultural resistance within the traditionally male submarine community. The practical space constraints were genuine - early submarines had no spare space for separate facilities - but as submarines grew larger and combat exclusion policies were repealed, the barriers fell.

How many women currently serve on submarines worldwide?

As of 2025, thousands of women serve on submarines across multiple navies. The US Navy leads in numbers, with women serving on all SSBN and SSGN crews and increasingly on SSN crews - the goal is full integration across the submarine force. The Royal Navy has women on all submarine classes including the Vanguard-class SSBNs. Australia, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, and Spain also have women serving on submarines. China, Russia, India, Japan, and several other navies do not currently allow women on submarines, though policies continue to evolve. The total number of women in submarine service worldwide is estimated at several hundred to over a thousand, with the number growing annually as integration expands.

What modifications were needed to accommodate women on submarines?

Physical modifications were generally modest. The primary changes included converting some berthing compartments to female-only berthing with privacy curtains or lockable doors, adding female hygiene facilities (head/bathroom modifications), installing locks on shower facilities, and adjusting uniform and equipment sizing. On larger submarines like the Ohio-class SSBN, these changes required relatively minor construction. On smaller attack submarines, the tighter spaces made accommodation more challenging. Policy modifications included updated fraternization rules, harassment prevention training, pregnancy policies (women who become pregnant are removed from submarine duty), and establishing female mentoring programs. Most navies found that the modifications required were far less extensive than initially anticipated.

Have women commanded submarines?

As of 2025, a small number of women have reached submarine command positions. Commander Lisa Phillips became the first woman to serve as executive officer (second-in-command) of a US Navy submarine in 2019. Several women have since served as department heads and executive officers on US submarines, building the pipeline toward commanding officer billets. The Royal Australian Navy has had women in senior submarine positions. Norway, as an early adopter, has had women in submarine leadership roles for decades. The path to submarine command typically takes 18-22 years of service, so the full impact of integration policies begun in 2010-2015 is still developing. The trajectory is clear: women will increasingly hold submarine command positions as the pipeline matures.

What challenges did the first women submariners face?

The first women to serve on submarines faced both professional and social challenges. Professionally, they had to prove their competence in a highly technical and physically demanding environment while under intense scrutiny - every mistake was magnified. Socially, they entered a deeply traditional, all-male culture that was not always welcoming. Resistance ranged from passive skepticism to active hostility in some cases. Practical challenges included fitting into spaces designed for larger male bodies, adapting to limited privacy, and dealing with the isolation of being one of very few women in a crew of 100+. Most early women submariners report that professional competence was the key to acceptance - once they demonstrated they could do the job, resistance diminished significantly. Many describe their submarine service as the most challenging and rewarding experience of their careers.