[InterceptPoint]

Submarines don't have surface to air missiles, for obvious reasons. Shooting it off gives away their position. And how would a submerged submarine know there was an airplane around to shoot at and how would they aim the missile?

Submarines can surface and they definitely can launch nuclear weapons. But you could be right - I'm certainly no expert.

But I assume there are Navy ships that are capable of launching a SAM and, as I recall, there was a Naval exercise being conducted in the area at the time of the shoot-down.

[Lower Deck]

Submarines can surface and they definitely can launch nuclear weapons. But you could be right - I'm certainly no expert.

Submarines rely on stealth. If they surface then they lose that stealth and they are nothing but a highly vulnerable target.

But I assume there are Navy ships that are capable of launching a SAM and, as I recall, there was a Naval exercise being conducted in the area at the time of the shoot-down.

Then you would have to believe that the Navy was so incredibly stupid as to shoot a missile into the most packed, highly trafficked air corridor in the world. Having spent many, many years in the armed forces I can attest that the military is sometimes ponderous, often bureaucratic, but it isn't criminally stupid. No matter what people may want to think.