The series chronicled the relationship of three sisters, and the support the youngest two especially needed from their eldest married sister.
The external tubes are mounted outside the pressure hull in one row, above the torpedo tubes, and can only be reloaded in port or with the assistance of a submarine tender.
So, then, would Russia be willing to escalate the situation by sailing an attack sub into the Gulf of Mexico? Though, she prefers to keep her asset detail low-key.