During a period of international tension between the United States and Russia, Captain Frank Ramsey (Gene Hackman) and his newly-appointed executive officer, Commander Ron Hunter (Denzel Washington) of the nuclear submarine USS Alabama receive radioed orders to launch their nuclear weapons against Russia. Before they can do so, they receive the beginning of a second order, but before they can receive the entire message they are attacked by a Russian submarine. With communications with the US cut off, Hunter believes that the second order would have countermanded the first and prevented the nuclear launch; Ramsey orders that the launch proceed. Since the launch protocol requires that both the captain and XO agree to the launch, a crisis of command and eventual mutiny results as the officers grapple for control of the submarine.