Underwater Missile Launch


(YouTube link)

At first I was like ?? Then I was like !! I had no idea this was even possible. -via reddit

The US Navy has been launching missiles from underwater platforms for over 50 years:
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/US_Navy_Marks_50th_Anniversary_Of_First_Submerged_Launch_Of_Fleet_Ballistic_Missile_999.html

The 'shopped video of a fighter aircraft "launching" from underwater is actually a video of a Polaris launch, with the missile replaced with a fighter.
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how do you think submarines launch these missiles?

Looks like a test of submarine launched canister. They can be launched from surface containers as well.

And TIL : Trident ICBM missiles are launched from a depth of 200 feet when a rocket engine from a sidewinder missile vaporizes about 50 gallons of water into steam which motivates the 36000 pound rocket to the surface in a bubble. The rockets motors ignite when sensors detect a negative forward acceleration at about 30 feet out of the water. During this whole process the ICBM does not get wet.
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I'm not a rocket scientist, but it seems fairly simple to do this. The rocket is launched (probably with compressed air) relatively slowly into the water. After it drifts far enough away the rocket is fired. The reasons for doing it this way would include not having to build a heavy launching platform, and keeping the rocket blast away from the ship and crew.
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