The attack submarine USS Hampton is surfaced through ice on the Arctic Ocean in 2024 Specialist 1st Class Justin Yarborough/U.S. Navy
Climate change could reduce the range of sonar detection in certain ocean regions, making it harder to hunt down submarines prowling beneath the waves.
Sonar is crucial for military efforts to track rivals’ ballistic missile submarines. These vessels can lurk in the ocean depths for months before launching a dozen or more nuclear-tipped missiles in the event of a nuclear war. Submarines can also play their more traditional role of attacking surface ships in conventional war scenarios, such…
