Piranha: Firing Point

“A nuclear submarine fleet is the future of the armed forces. The number of tanks and guns will be reduced as well as the infantry, but a modem Navy is a totally different thing.”

— RUSSIAN ARMY MARSHAL PAVEL GRACEV, FORMER RUSSIAN MINISTER OF DEFENSE, 1993

“It is becoming increasingly clear that the next substantial U.S. naval expedition abroad — the next Desert Storm — may well face an enemy with submarines in its order of battle.”

— CAPTAIN BRUCE LINDER, U.S. NAVY COMMANDER, FLEET ANTISUBMARINE WARFARE TRAINING CENTER U.S. NAVAL INSTITUTE PROCEEDINGS, MAY 1996

“The location where we will engage the enemy must not become known to them. If it is not known, then the positions they must prepare to defend will be numerous … [and] the forces we will engage will be few.”

— SUN-TZU, THE ART OF WAR

“Ex Scientia — Tridens.” (from knowledge — sea power)

— MOTTO OF THE U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY

“Gentlemen, one thing I’ve learned at sea is that the procedure manuals are written by people who have never been on the business end of a torpedo with the plant crashing around them, with the captain shouting for power, where a second’s delay can mean death. The meaning of being an officer in our navy is knowing more than those operation manuals, knowing how to play when you’re hurt, when the ship is going down and you need to keep shooting anyway. That’s really it, isn’t it, men? The ability to play hurt. That’s the only way we’ll ever win a war. And in fact, that’s the only way you can live your lives. Do that for me, guys. Learn to play hurt.”

— ADMIRAL KINNAIRD R. MCKEE, DIRECTOR NAVY NUCLEAR PROPULSION PROGRAM AND FORMER SUPERINTENDENT, U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY, ADDRESSING THE ATLANTIC FLEET SUBMARINE OFFICERS, NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, 1984

“I still have one torpedo and two main engines.”

— CAPTAIN MICHAEL PACINO, USS SEAWOLF, AT THE MOUTH OF THE GO HAI BAY, SURROUNDED BY CHINESE DESTROYERS AND AIRCRAFT