United States remains absent from modern submarine export market

Despite being the world's leading arms exporter—accounting for 42% of major global weapon transfers between 2021 and 2025 according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)—the United States remains largely absent from the modern submarine export market.

While competitors such as Germany, France, Russia, China, Sweden, Spain, and South Korea compete heavily in the diesel-electric submarine market, the U.S. Navy has transitioned almost exclusively to nuclear-powered combat submarines. Following the 1954 launch of the USS Nautilus, the first nuclear-powered submarine, the U.S. moved away from diesel-electric models.

The primary reason for this absence is the extreme sensitivity and strict control of nuclear propulsion technology. Unlike the post-WWII era, when the U.S. sold diesel-electric classes like the Balao and Tench to allies such as Turkey, Italy, and Greece, modern nuclear technology is treated as highly protected military intelligence.