Nuclear navy, or nuclear powered navy consists of ships powered by relatively small onboard nuclear reactors known as naval reactors. The concept was revolutionary and excellent in the annals of naval warfare as it would mean that ships at sea, or under the oceans, would not have to stop to take on fuel, as with the fossil fuels of petroleum oil or coal as in earlier times.

Nuclear-powered aircraft carriers

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The United States Navy has the most nuclear-powered aircraft carriers (10). France's latest aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, is nuclear powered - however, the French Navy is planning to use conventional power for its next carrier. The United Kingdom has rejected nuclear power for its Future Carriers due to cost.

Nuclear-powered submarines

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The United States Navy has the world's largest nuclear submarine fleet. Only the United States Navy and the Royal Navy field an all-nuclear submarine force. By 1989, there were over 400 nuclear-powered submarines operational or being built. Some 250 of these submarines have now been scrapped and some on order cancelled, due to weapons reduction programs. Russia and the United States had over one hundred each, with the United Kingdom and France less than twenty each and China six. The total today is about 160.

Other nuclear-powered vessels

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The United States no longer has nuclear cruisers, but they are still in use by Russia. Russia has eight nuclear icebreakers in service or under construction.

The United States Navy

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The US Navy has accumulated over 5400 "reactor years" of accident-free experience, and operates more than 80 nuclear-powered ships.

Adm Hyman G. Rickover

Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, (1900 - 1986), of the United States Navy, known as "Father of the Nuclear Navy , p.162: "'Admiral Rickover', said Powell, '"father of the atomic submarine", is a a great naval officer... It is not equally clear that he is a careful and thorough student of American education.'" "Submarine Range Called Unlimited; Rickover Says Atomic Craft Can Cruise Under Ice To North Pole and Beyond," The New York Times, December 6, 1957, p.33: "The admiral, who is often called the 'Father of the Atomic Submarine'..." ,p. 217: "Chet Holifield... member of the JCAE... said 'Of all the men I dealt with in public service, at least one will go down in history: Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, the father of the nuclear Navy.'"" was an electrical engineer by training, and was the primary architect who implemented this daring concept, and believed that it was the natural next phase for the way military vessels could be propelled and powered. The challenge was to reduce the size of a nuclear reactor to fit onboard a ship or submarine, as well as to encase it sufficiently so that radiation hazards would not be a safety concern.

Soon after World War II, Rickover was assigned to the Bureau of Ships in September 1947 and received lots of helpful training in nuclear power at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. In February 1949 he received an assignment to the Division of Reactor Development, Atomic Energy Commission and then assumed control of the United States Navy's effort as Director of the Naval Reactors Branch in the Bureau of Ships. This dual role allowed him to lead the efforts to develop the world's first nuclear-powered submarine, Nautilus (SSN-571), which was launched in 1954. As Vice Admiral, from 1958, for three decades Rickover exercised tight control over the ships, technology, and personnel of the nuclear navy, even interviewing every prospective officer for new nuclear powered navy vessels.

Philip Abelson

Philip Abelson (1913 - 2004), also known as the "Father of the Nuclear Submarine" contributed to the first nuclear powered submarine, the USS Nautilus (SSN-571), launched on January 21st 1954, which was the first vessel to travel under the North Pole ice cap.

US naval reactors

At the present time, many important vessels in the United States Navy are powered by United States Naval reactors. All submarines and all but two aircraft carriers are nuclear powered. Several cruisers were nuclear powered but these have all been retired because they were old. ^*

United States naval reactors are given three-character designations consisting of a letter representing the ship type the reactor is designed for, a consecutive generation number, and a letter indicating the reactor's designer. The ship types are "A" for aircraft carrier, "C" for cruiser, "D" for destroyer, or "S" for submarine. The designers are "W" for Westinghouse, "G" for General Electric, "C" for Combustion Engineering, and "B" for Bettis Laboratory.

Most information concerning United States naval reactors is not secret - see Naval Nuclear Propulsion Information.

See also

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• JASON reactor

Navies | Nuclear technology | United States Navy nuclear ships

References

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