For years, the main weapons of submarines were torpedoes and mines, but with the improvement of technology, missiles came on board. At first, they were launched from a surface position, but very shortly the anticipation of launching them from a hidden underwater position was developed. In general, these missiles can be divided into ballistic missiles launched from vertical launchers and missiles launched from torpedo tubes. The second are utilized to combat surface ships and coastal and land targets. Of course, specified missiles can besides be fired vertically, but then the ship must have separate vertical launchers in addition to torpedo tubes. The disadvantage of utilizing vertical launchers is the request to increase the dimensions of ships. In the case of submarines operating in the oceans and large seas, this is not as crucial as in the case of ships designed to operate on shallow and closed seas.
