The player takes command of the USS Idaho, a fictional Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine on a routine nuclear deterrence patrol. An encoded message from US COMSUBLANT breaks the routine: a stolen Libyan diesel sub has left the Mediterranean Sea and may be entering Idaho's operating area. The threat is compounded by the fact that the rogue vessel has been equipped with sound-generating technology enabling it to impersonate other classes of submarine — including American designs. The enemy sub exploits this capability almost immediately, disguising itself as USS Biloxi, an allied Los Angeles-class boat, before launching a torpedo attack on the Idaho.