View source for American submarine NR-1

{{Short description|Experimental nuclear submarine}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox ship
|infobox_caption=''NR-1''
|section1={{Infobox ship/image
 |image=NR-1 986.jpg
 |image_caption=Deep submergence vessel ''NR-1''
 }}

|section2={{Infobox ship/career
 |hide_header=
 |country=United States
 |flag={{USN flag|1996}}
 |name=''NR-1''
 |nickname= ''Nerwin''
 |namesake=
 |ordered=
 |builder=[[General Dynamics Electric Boat]]
 |laid_down=10 June 1967
 |launched=25 January 1969
 |acquired=
 |commissioned=
 |in_service=27 October 1969
 |out_of_service=21 November 2008
 |struck=
 |reinstated=
 |fate=Scrapped
 |motto=The World's Finest Deep Submersible
 }}

|section3={{Infobox ship/characteristics
 |hide_header=
 |header_caption=
 |class=Unique [[submarine]]
 |displacement=400 tons
 |length=*{{convert|45|m|ftin|abbr=on}} overall
         *{{convert|29.3|m|ftin|abbr=on}} pressure hull
 |beam=*{{convert|3.8|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
       *{{convert|4.8|m|ftin|abbr=on}} at stern stabilizers.
 |draft=*{{convert|4.6|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
        *Box keel depth (below base-line): {{convert|1.2|m|ft|abbr=on}}
 |power=Single nuclear reactor, one turbine generator
 |propulsion=*2 × external motors
             *2 × propellers
             *4 × ducted thrusters (mounted diagonally in two "x-configured" pairs)
 |speed=*{{convert|4.5|kn}} surfaced
        *{{convert|3.5|kn}} submerged<ref name="sea_systems_command">{{cite book|title=NR-1 Submarine: Nuclear Powered Research and Ocean Engineering Vehicle|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_0uILsSfQvEC&pg=PA3|access-date=30 January 2020|author=United States Naval Sea Systems Command|publisher=Dept. of the Navy, [[Naval Sea Systems Command|Sea Systems Command]]|location=Washington, D.C.}}</ref>
 |range=
 |endurance=*210-man-days nominal
            *16 days for a 13 person crew
            *330-man-days maximum
            *25 days for a 13 person crew
 |test_depth= {{convert|3000|ft}}<ref>{{cite web |last=Perry |first=Doug |url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/1999/nr_1.htm |website=Global Security |title=NR-1 – within Visual Sight of the Bottom |access-date=12 November 2018}}
</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1= Lacroix |first1= Frank W. |last2= Button |first2= Robert W. |last3= Johnson |first3= Stuart |last4= Wise |first4= John R.  |url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1395/MR1395.ch2.pdf|title= A Concept of Operations for a New Deep-Diving Submarine |date= 2002 |isbn= 0-8330-3045-0 |access-date= 12 November 2018}}</ref>
 |complement=3 officers, 8 crewmen, 2 scientists
 |sensors=
 |EW=
 |armament=
 }}
}}
[[File:NR-1 Launching Cover.jpg|thumb|NR-1 Launching Cover]]
'''Deep Submergence Vessel ''NR-1''''' was a unique [[United States Navy]] nuclear-powered ocean engineering and research submarine built by the [[Electric Boat]] Division of [[General Dynamics]] at [[Groton, Connecticut]]. ''NR-1'' was launched on 25 January 1969, completed initial sea trials 19 August 1969, and was home-ported at [[Naval Submarine Base New London]]. She was the smallest nuclear submarine ever put into operation, casually known as "Nerwin" and never officially named or commissioned. The U.S. Navy is allocated a specific number of warships by Congress, but Admiral [[Hyman Rickover]] avoided using one of those allocations for the construction of ''NR-1'' in order to circumvent the oversight that a warship receives from various bureaus.

==History==
''NR-1''{{'}}s missions included search, object recovery, geological survey, oceanographic research, and installation and maintenance of underwater equipment. ''NR-1'' had the unique capability to remain at one site and completely map or search an area with a high degree of accuracy, and this was a valuable asset on several occasions.<ref name=doe_2016_p64>{{cite web|url=https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2017/08/f36/nuclear_propulsion_program_8-30-2016%5B1%5D.pdf#page=70|pages=64–65|date=November 2015|quote=Able to remain submerged and move at maximum speed for extended periods of time, she performed detailed studies and mapping of the ocean bottom (including temperature, currents, and other oceanographic data) for military and scientific uses. The unique capabilities of NR-1 put her in high demand in both the military and the scientific communities. NR-1 could remain submerged for up to a month, allowing her to survey large areas even in inclement weather. |title=The United States Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program{{Spaces}}''Over 157 Million Miles Safely Steamed on Nuclear Power'':NR-1|publisher=US Department of Energy & United States Navy}}</ref>

In the 1970s and 1980s, ''NR-1'' conducted numerous classified missions involving recovery of objects from the floor of the deep sea. These missions remain classified and few details have been made public. One publicly acknowledged mission in 1976 was to recover parts of an [[F-14]] that were lost from the deck of an aircraft carrier<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1977/03/30/navy-f-14-trying-to-land-on-carrier-lost-in-ocean/81ec593e-30e0-4091-987f-6e6b1deaff65/|title=Navy F-14 Trying to Land on Carrier Lost in Ocean|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=30 March 1977}}</ref> and sank with at least one [[AIM-54 Phoenix#Variants|AIM-54A Phoenix]] air-to-air missile.<ref name=naval_aviation_news>{{cite magazine|magazine=Naval Aviation News|title=Tomcat Recovery|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Tr63AAAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PA19|page=19|date=February 1977|quote=Both the [[F-14 Tomcat operational history#Cold War intercepts (1976–1991)|F-14]] ''Tomcat'' and the ''[[AIM-54 Phoenix|Phoenix]]'' missile that were lost overboard from the aircraft carrier ''[[USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67)|John F Kennedy]]'' off the coast of Scotland on 14 September 1976, have been recovered [...] The Phoenix attached to the F-14 when it was lost, was recovered 31 October. The deep submergence and ocean engineering vessel '''NR-1 located the missile''' and with help from the submarine rescue ship ''Sunbird'' successfully '''recovered it'''. [...] Commander Allison J. Holifield, officer in charge of NR-1, later described the F-14 search operation as being akin to "looking for a needle in a grassy front yard with only the aid of a penlight." And he added that at 1,800 feet the water was calm, unlike that on the surface. }}</ref> The secrecy typical of USN submarine operations was heightened by Rickover's personal involvement, and he shared details of ''NR-1'' operations only on a need-to-know basis. Rickover envisioned building a small fleet of ''NR-1'' type submarines, but only one was built due to budget restrictions.<ref name="Melia">{{cite news |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/submarine-its-sailors-maintain-cold-war-secrets |title=Navy's NR-1 Submarine |first=Michael |last=Melia |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=13 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150715073240/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/submarine-its-sailors-maintain-cold-war-secrets |archive-date=15 July 2015}}</ref>

Following [[Challenger disaster|the loss]] of the [[Space Shuttle Challenger|Space Shuttle ''Challenger'']] in 1986, ''NR-1'' was used to search for, identify, and recover critical parts of the ''Challenger'' craft.<ref name=NavyTimes /> It could remain on the sea floor without resurfacing frequently, and was a major tool for searching deep waters. ''NR-1'' remained submerged and on station even when heavy weather and rough seas hit the area and forced all other search and recovery ships into port.{{r|doe_2016_p64|page=65|quote=NR-1 could remain submerged for up to a month, allowing her to survey large areas even in inclement weather. }}

In October 1994, a survey was done by the ''NR-1'' off the Florida straits 65&nbsp;km southwest of Key West where it encountered and explored an uncharted sink hole. On 2 December 1998, an advisory committee approved the name "NR-1" for the hole.
<ref>{{Cite web
  |title=NR-1 Hole
  |website=Geographical Names
  |url=https://geographic.org/geographic_names/name.php?uni=519682&fid=6438&c=undersea_features
}}</ref>

In 1995, [[Robert Ballard]] used the ''NR-1'' and its support ship {{MV|Carolyn Chouest}} to explore the wreck of {{HMHS|Britannic}}, the sister ship of {{RMS|Titanic}}, which sank off the coast of [[Greece]] while serving as a [[hospital ship]] during [[World War I]].<ref name=lost_liners>{{cite book|isbn=0786862963|title=Lost Liners: The Book|first1=Robert D.|last1=Ballard|first2=Rich|last2=Archbold|location=New York|publisher=Hyperion|date=1998|others=Paintings by Ken Marschall|url=https://www.pbs.org/lostliners/britannic.html|quote=Our plan in late August 1995 was to survey [[HMHS Britannic#Wreck|the wreck]] with the help of the navy's nuclear-powered NR-1 submarine, small by navy sub standards but far more spacious and comfortable than the research submersibles [[Robert Ballard|I'm]] accustomed to. (You can actually stand up!)}}</ref>

On 25 February 2007, ''NR-1'' arrived in [[Galveston]], Texas, towed by ''Carolyn Chouest'', in preparation for an expedition to survey the [[Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary]] and other sites in the [[Gulf of Mexico]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,126997,00.html |title=NR-1 in Texas For Gulf Exploration |first=Brandon |last=Shelander |date=1 March 2007 |work=Navy News |publisher=Military.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070304085946/http://www.military.com/features/0%2C15240%2C126997%2C00.html |archive-date=4 March 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

''NR-1'' was deactivated on 21 November 2008 at the U.S. Navy submarine base at [[Groton, Connecticut]], defuelled at [[Portsmouth Naval Shipyard]] in [[Kittery, Maine]], then sent to [[Puget Sound Naval Shipyard]] to be scrapped.<ref name=NavyTimes>{{cite news |url=http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/11/navy_nr1retires_113008w/ |title=Deep-diving NR-1 wraps up its 40-year career |last=Scutro |first=Andrew |work=Navy Times |date=30 November 2008 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> On 13 November 2013, the U.S. Navy announced that salvaged pieces of the sub would be put on display at the [[Submarine Force Library and Museum]] in Groton.<ref name="Melia" />

==Capabilities==
[[File:Early design sketch of the NR-1..jpg|thumb|left|Early design sketch of ''NR-1'']]
''NR-1'' performed underwater search and recovery, [[Oceanography|oceanographic]] research missions, and installation and maintenance of underwater equipment to a depth of almost half a nautical mile. Its features included extending bottoming wheels, three viewing ports, exterior lighting, television and still cameras for color photographic studies, an object recovery claw, a manipulator that could be fitted with various gripping and cutting tools, and a work basket that could be used in conjunction with the manipulator to deposit or recover items in the sea.{{r|sea_systems_command}} Surface vision was provided by a television periscope permanently installed on a fixed mast in her sail area.{{r|sea_systems_command|p=6|quote=The periscope TV camera mounted on the bridge fairwater is used for surface viewing and safe surfacing. }}

[[File:Dvic103.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Ducted thrust is visible at ''NR-1''{{'}}s stern as she maneuvers]]
''NR-1'' had sophisticated electronics, computers, and sonar systems that aided in navigation, communications, and object location and identification. It could maneuver or hold a steady position on or close to the seabed or underwater ridges, detect and identify objects at a considerable distance, and lift objects off the ocean floor.{{r|sea_systems_command|p=4|quote=NR-1 is a compact, nuclear-powered, electric-drive undersea research and ocean engineering submarine. Her operation depth encompasses all of the continental shelves, and much of the continental slopes while her nuclear power plant provides a far greater endurance than any other research submarine. NR-1 is capable of ocean search missions such as locating and identifying objects or ships lost at sea, and in situ examination and recording of ocean topographic and geological features. The ship is equipped and has the capacity for work near or on the seabed performing sample gathering recovery implantation or repair of objects in the ocean. The installed equipment can be supplemented by scientist-supplied sensors to conduct experiments and obtain knowledge of the ocean's chemical, thermal, optical, biological, and acoustical dharacteristics.}}

''NR-1'' was equipped with two electric motor-driven propellers and its maneuverability was enhanced by four [[Ducted propeller|ducted thrusters]], two forward and two aft. The vehicle had [[diving plane]]s mounted on the sail, and a conventional rudder.{{r|sea_systems_command|p=1}}

''NR-1'' could travel submerged at approximately {{convert|4|kn}} for long periods, limited only by consumable supplies—primarily food. It could study and map the ocean bottom, including temperature, currents, and other information for military, commercial, and scientific uses. Its nuclear propulsion provided independence from surface support ships and essentially unlimited endurance.{{r|sea_systems_command|p=3|quote=NR-1 can place a man on the bottom of the ocean with facilities unmatched by any other vehicle. The nuclear propulsion plant provides an endurance limited only by the provisions required to sustain the crew and scientific observers. An endurance of 330-man-days (one month with a normal complement of 11 men) has been demonstrated.}}

''NR-1''{{'}}s size limited its crew comforts. The crew of about 10 men could stay at sea for as long as a month, but had no kitchen or bathing facilities. They ate frozen [[Frozen meal|TV dinners]], bathed once a week with a bucket of water, and burned [[Chemical oxygen generator#Oxygen candle|chlorate candles]] to produce oxygen. The sub was so slow that it was towed to sea by a surface vessel, and so tiny that the crew felt the push and pull of the ocean's currents. "Everybody on ''NR-1'' got sick," said Allison J. Holifield, who commanded the sub in the mid-1970s. "It was only a matter of whether you were throwing up or not throwing up."<ref name="Melia" /><ref name=senate>{{cite book|title=Energy Research And Development Administration: Fiscal Year 1978 Authorization, Hearing Before The Committee On Armed Services, United States Senate. Ninety Fifth Congress. First Session On S 1339: A Bill To Authorize Appropriations To The Energy Research And Development Administration For National Defense Programs For The Fiscal Year 1978 And For Other Purposes.|date=25 March 1977|publisher=United States Government Printing Office |quote=[[Wendell R. Anderson|Senator Anderson]]: "I have a daughter that would like to get involved in nuclear submarine work because she would like to be President. I would like to know how she would go about it." [[Hyman Rickover|Admiral Rickover]]: "One of our submarines is the nuclear powered research submersible, '''NR-1. It carries five people, and it has only one primitive lavatory in it, and no privacy.''' I don't know whether you want your daughter there or not." Senator Anderson: "She is only 8 years old, Admiral."|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FR7QAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA104|pages=104–105}}</ref>

''NR-1'' was generally towed to and from remote mission locations by an accompanying surface tender, which was also capable of conducting research in conjunction with the submarine. ''NR-1''{{'}}s last mother ship was [[MV Carolyn Chouest|MV ''Carolyn Chouest'']], which provided towing, communications, berthing, and direct mission support for all ''NR-1'' operations—a versatile platform and an indispensable member of the ''NR-1'' deep submergence team. ''NR-1'' command was crewed with thirty-five Navy personnel and ten civilian contractor personnel. ''NR-1'' carried as many as thirteen persons (crew and specialists) at one time, including three of the four assigned officers. (The operations officer rode on ''Carolyn Chouest'').<ref name="undersea_warfare_mag 14">{{cite magazine|magazine=Undersea Warfare|publisher=United States Navy|first=JO3 Braden|last=Bilyeu|title=NR-1: Exploring Naval History on the Ocean Floor|volume=4|number=2, ''Winter/Spring 2002''|url=https://www.public.navy.mil/subfor/underseawarfaremagazine/Issues/Archives/issue_14/nr1.html|quote=The submarine is usually towed to and from remote locations by a chartered commercial vessel, the Carolyn Chouest, which serves as both an auxiliary research platform and submarine tender for NR-1. "We have one of the best support ships in the entire fleet in Carolyn Chouest," said MM1 (SS/DV) Bryan Wallace. "The crew is very squared away, and they take very good care of us while we're underway. The food is a lot better over there, too," he added. The Carolyn Chouest also supports the crew by serving as a communication link to friends and family during NR-1 deployments. Twice daily, the Chouest downloads e-mail for the crew and relays it to the boat by radio. The crew can respond in the same manner.|access-date=30 January 2020|archive-date=30 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200130075407/https://www.public.navy.mil/subfor/underseawarfaremagazine/Issues/Archives/issue_14/nr1.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> All personnel who crewed ''NR-1'' were nuclear-trained and specifically screened and interviewed by the Director, [[Naval Reactors|Navy Nuclear Propulsion Program]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.navy.mil/navydata/testimony/safety/bowman031029.txt|publisher=United States Navy|title=Statement Of Admiral F. L. "Skip" Bowman, U.S. Navy Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program before the House Committee On Science - 29 October 2003|date=29 October 2003|quote=[[Hyman Rickover|Admiral Rickover]] personally selected every member of his Headquarters staff and every naval officer accepted into the Program.  This practice is still in place today, and I <!-- expand inline and include link -->[[Frank Bowman|Admiral F. L. "Skip" Bowman, U.S. Navy Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program]] conduct these interviews and make the final decision myself.|access-date=30 January 2020|archive-date=12 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180312101303/http://www.navy.mil/navydata/testimony/safety/bowman031029.txt|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Awards==
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=U.S. Navy Unit Commendation ribbon.svg|width=103}} 
|{{ribbon devices|number=5|type=service-star|ribbon=Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg|width=103}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Battle Effectiveness Award ribbon, 4th award.svg|width=103}}
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=2|type=service-star|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=103}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Global War on Terrorism Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=103}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Navy and Marine Corps Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.svg|width=103}} 
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|[[Navy Unit Commendation]] 
|[[Meritorious Unit Commendation]]<br/>with five [[award stars]] 
|[[Navy E Ribbon]]<br/>with Battle "E" device (6 awards)
|-
|[[National Defense Service Medal]]<br/> with two [[service star|stars]]
|[[Global War on Terrorism Service Medal]]
|[[Sea Service Ribbon|Sea Service Deployment Ribbon]]
|}

==See also==
* {{USS|Albacore|AGSS-569}}
* {{USS|Dolphin|AGSS-555}}
* {{USS|Jimmy Carter|SSN-23}}
* [[Russian submarine Losharik|Russian submarine ''Losharik'']]
* [[Deep-submergence rescue vehicle]]
* ''[[Fire Ice]]'', a Clive Cussler novel which includes ''NR-1'' as a major plot element

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
*{{cite magazine|title=NR-1 — The Navy's Inner-Space Shuttle|first=Robert D.|last=Ballard|magazine=[[National Geographic (magazine)|National Geographic]]|pages=450–459|volume=167|issue=4|date=April 1985|issn=0027-9358|oclc=643483454}}
* {{cite book |title=Dark Waters: An Insider's Account of the NR-1, The Cold War's Undercover Nuclear Sub |first1=Lee |last1=Vyborny |first2=Don |last2=Davis |publisher=New American Library |year=2003 |isbn=0-451-20777-7 |url=https://archive.org/details/darkwatersinside0000vybo |url-access=registration }}
*{{cite magazine|magazine=Undersea Warfare|title=NR-1 – within Visual Sight of the Bottom|publisher=United States Navy|volume=1|number=4, ''Summer 1999''|first=Lieutenant Doug|last=Perry, USN|others=Artist rendering by Dale Gustafson|url=https://www.public.navy.mil/subfor/underseawarfaremagazine/Issues/Archives/issue_04/nr_1.html|access-date=30 January 2020|archive-date=30 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200130075405/https://www.public.navy.mil/subfor/underseawarfaremagazine/Issues/Archives/issue_04/nr_1.html|url-status=dead}}
*{{cite magazine|magazine=Undersea Warfare|publisher=United States Navy|first=JO1 (SW / AW) Mark A.|last=Savage, USN|title=NR-1's Summer of Military Missions and Scientific Exploration|number=2, ''Winter 2003''|url=https://www.public.navy.mil/subfor/underseawarfaremagazine/Issues/Archives/issue_17/nr1s.html|quote=The first stop for NR-1 and its crew was off the coast of New Jersey at the site where the Navy dirigible [[USS Akron]] (ZRS-4) crashed shortly after midnight on 4 April 1933. [...] NR-1 made a single pass along the wreckage of the airship at a depth of approximately 120 feet, while the crew obtained imagery of the hulk using the submarine's side-looking sonars.|access-date=30 January 2020|archive-date=30 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200130084043/https://www.public.navy.mil/subfor/underseawarfaremagazine/Issues/Archives/issue_17/nr1s.html|url-status=dead}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|NR-1 (submarine, 1969)}}

*{{cite web|url=http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/factfile/ships/ship-nr1.html |title=NR 1 Deep Submergence Craft |date=24 May 1999 |website=Chief of Naval Information |publisher=United States Navy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030429014652/http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/factfile/ships/ship-nr1.html |archive-date=29 April 2003 |url-status=dead }}
*{{cite web|url=http://doni.daps.dla.mil/Directives/03000%20Naval%20Operations%20and%20Readiness/03-900%20Research,%20Development,%20Test%20and%20Evaluation%20Services/3930.7D.pdf|title=Operational Concepts for the Submarine NR-1 |id=OPNAVINST 3930.7D |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301182332/http://doni.daps.dla.mil/Directives/03000%20Naval%20Operations%20and%20Readiness/03-900%20Research%2C%20Development%2C%20Test%20and%20Evaluation%20Services/3930.7D.pdf |archive-date=1 March 2012 |date=27 April 2000 |author=Chief of Naval Operations |author-link=Chief of Naval Operations |url-status=dead }}
*{{cite web |url=http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/jason/HTML/dive.html |title=A Dive on the NR-1 |last=Feldman |first=Gene Carl |date=10 April 1996 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030430155203/http://www.jasonproject.org/jason7/dive/index.html |archive-date=30 April 2003 |url-status=dead |website=Jason VII: Adapting to a Changing Sea |access-date=19 July 2013}}

{{US submarine classes after 1945}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:NR-1}}
[[Category:Submarines of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:Cold War submarines of the United States]]
[[Category:Experimental nuclear submarines of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:Deep-submergence vehicles]]
[[Category:1969 ships]]