The use of submarines in combat is a little-researched subject. Since World War II, submarines have only been used three times to sink other ships in combat, and they have only been used a handful of times to engage land-based targets. This lack of activity on the part of the submarines and their classified nature has meant that modern submarine warfare has not been discussed that much. This, together with the fact that the submarines rarely are seen working together with other units, creates a large gap in the understanding of their actions, Both individually but also together with others. The problem with this lack of knowledge is that those who plan for the submarines' operations and those who will use the submarines won’t be able use their units in the best possible way.
The results of the study show that the submarines are dynamic platforms but are affected by both external and internal factors such as type of armament, the goal of the operation, who they cooperate with and if the state possesses sea control as an example. These factors must be considered in the planning and execution of submarine operations to get the most out of the units.