In
naval parlance, the
sail (American usage) or
fin (European/Commonwealth usage) of a
submarine is the tower-like structure found on the
dorsal (topside) surface of submarines. Submarine sails usually house the
conning tower (command and communications data center), the
periscope(s),
radar and communications masts (
antenna).
When surfaced, the sail serves as an observation platform. Historically, much of the submarine control was performed from the
conning tower located inside the sail superstructure
, but some newer submarines can be controlled entirely from the bridge.
In some submarines, the sail also supports
control surfaces which are used for underwater stability and steering
[Office of Naval Research. . Retrieved December 24, 2008.].
See also
