SSN

Foreword: Note to the Reader

This book is based upon the CD-ROM game Tom Clancy SSN, co-published by Simon & Schuster Interactive, a division of Simon & Schuster, C.I. Entertainment, Inc., and Virtus Corporation. Developed by Tom Clancy with Captain Doug Littlejohns, CBE, British Royal Navy (Ret.), SSN is a groundbreaking, action-packed submarine combat game and a full-screen, live-action cinematic thriller.

This book, however, is intended to serve as more than a faithful adaptation. While based on the game, this book is intended to serve as a strategy guide to submarine warfare, and as such it contains some minor variations from the CD-ROM game: an additional class of enemy submarines, a wider range of weaponry, and a broader spectrum of available tactics and strategies.

Both the game and this book share a common goal: to put you, the reader, in charge of a United States nuclear attack submarine at war. If you come away with a taste of what life in the silent service is like, with a better understanding and appreciation of the efforts of those brave sailors who serve aboard boomers and attack submarines everywhere, and with an idea of the dangers these sailors face every day, then this book and the game upon which it is based have done their jobs.

Life aboard a submarine is filled with hard work, close quarters, and the constant threat of silent enemies and the deep, dark pressure of the ocean. Slip into your naval uniform — the one with the golden dolphins on the collar — and step aboard one of the finest submarines in the United States Navy — the USS Cheyenne. But don’t forget your seat belt. There’s a war on, and it’s going to be a bumpy ride.