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{{Short description|Navy with ships powered by nuclear energy}}
{{lead too short|date=May 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}

A '''nuclear navy''', or '''nuclear-powered navy''', refers to the portion of a [[navy]] consisting of [[naval ship]]s powered by [[nuclear marine propulsion]]. The concept was revolutionary for [[naval warfare]] when first proposed. Prior to nuclear power, submarines were powered by diesel engines and could only submerge through the use of batteries. In order for these submarines to run their [[diesel engine]]s and charge their batteries they would have to surface or snorkel. The use of nuclear power allowed these submarines to become true submersibles and unlike their conventional counterparts, they became limited only by crew endurance and supplies.

==Nuclear-powered aircraft carriers==
Currently, only the [[United States Navy|United States]] and [[French Navy|France]] possess [[Nuclear-powered aircraft carrier|nuclear-powered aircraft-carriers]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Problem For The US Navy: China Wants A Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier|url=https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/05/problem-for-the-us-navy-china-wants-a-nuclear-powered-aircraft-carrier/|work=1945|date=4 June 2022}}</ref>

The [[United States Navy]] has by far the most nuclear-powered [[aircraft carrier]]s, with ten {{sclass|Nimitz|aircraft carrier|0}} carriers and one {{sclass|Gerald R. Ford|aircraft carrier|0}} carrier in service. The last conventionally-powered aircraft carrier left the U.S. fleet as of 12 May 2009, when the [[USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63)#Retirement|USS ''Kitty Hawk'']] was deactivated. France's latest aircraft carrier, the {{ship|French aircraft carrier|Charles de Gaulle||2}}, is nuclear-powered.<ref>[https://www.defense.gouv.fr/marine/equipements/batiments-de-combat/porte-avions/charles-de-gaulle-r-91 Charles de Gaulle (R 91) (in french)].</ref> The United Kingdom rejected nuclear power early in the development of its {{sclass|Queen Elizabeth|aircraft carrier|1}}s on cost grounds, as even several decades of fuel use costs less than a nuclear reactor.<ref>Morrocco, John. "U.K. Launches Future Aircraft Carrier Studies". ''Aviation Week and Space Technology''. The McGraw-Hill Companies, 1 February 1999. Retrieved on 28 July 2007.</ref> Since 1949 the [[Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory]] near [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] has been one of the lead laboratories in the development of the nuclear navy. The planned [[Chinese aircraft carrier programme|indigenous Chinese carriers]] also feature nuclear propulsion.<ref>{{cite web|title=China plans nuclear-powered aircraft carriers: US expert|url=http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20141217000096&cid=1101|work=Want China Times|date=11 July 2014}}</ref>

==Nuclear-powered submarines==
{{main|Nuclear submarine}}
The [[United States Navy]] operates the largest fleet of nuclear submarines.<ref>[http://193.71.199.52/en/international/russia/navy/northern_fleet/vessels/34070.html Bellona Environmental Foundation web site, Nuclear Naval Vessels web page], accessed 22 October 2006.</ref> Only the United States Navy, the United Kingdom's [[Royal Navy]], and France's ''[[Marine Nationale]]'' field an all-nuclear submarine force. By 1989, there were over 400 nuclear-powered submarines operational or being built.<ref>J. K. Shultis, R. E. Faw, <cite>Fundamentals of Nuclear Science and Engineering</cite>, Marcel Dekker, 2002, p. 340.</ref> 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 fewer than twenty each and [[China]] six. The [[Indian Navy]] launched their first indigenous {{sclass|Arihant|submarine|0}} nuclear-powered submarines on 26 July 2009.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/07/26/india.nuclear.submarine/index.html | publisher=CNN| title=India launches nuclear submarine - CNN.com | access-date=20 May 2010 | date=26 July 2009}}</ref> [[India]] is also operating one nuclear attack submarine with talks of leasing one more nuclear submarine from Russia. India plans to build six nuclear attack submarines and follow on to the Arihant class of ballistic missile submarines.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thediplomat.com/2016/03/indias-undersea-deterrent|title=India's Undersea Deterrent|last=Diplomat|first=Saurav Jha, The|website=The Diplomat|access-date=2016-04-09}}</ref>

==Nuclear-powered cruisers==
{{main|Nuclear powered cruisers of the United States Navy}}
The US had several nuclear cruisers. The cruisers were the [[USS Bainbridge (CGN-25)|USS ''Bainbridge'']], [[USS California (CGN-36)|USS ''California'']], [[USS Long Beach (CGN-9)|USS ''Long Beach'']], [[USS Truxtun (CGN-35)|USS ''Truxtun'']], [[USS South Carolina (CGN-37)|USS ''South Carolina'']], [[USS Virginia (CGN-38)|USS ''Virginia'']], [[USS Texas (CGN-39)|USS ''Texas'']], [[USS Mississippi (CGN-40)|USS ''Mississippi'']], and [[USS Arkansas (CGN-41)|USS ''Arkansas'']]. The ''Long Beach'' was deemed too expensive and was decommissioned in 1995 instead of receiving its third nuclear refueling and proposed upgrade. It was sold for scrap in 2012 at [[Puget Sound Naval Shipyard]]. Currently the United States does not have any nuclear [[cruiser]]s.{{Citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

Russia has four {{sclass|Kirov|battlecruiser}}s, though only one is active, the other three being laid up. The [[Soviet communications ship SSV-33|command ship ''SSV-33 Ural'']], based on the ''Kirov'' class, is also laid up. Seven civilian [[nuclear icebreaker]]s remain in service: four of six {{sclass|Arktika|icebreaker|1}}s, the two [[Taymyr class nuclear icebreaker|''Taymyr''-class icebreakers]] ''[[Taymyr (1987 icebreaker)|Taymyr]]'' and ''[[Vaygach (nuclear icebreaker)|Vaygach]]'', and the [[lighter aboard ship|LASH carrier]] and [[container ship]] {{ship||Sevmorput}}.{{Citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

== United States Navy ==
By 2003 the U.S. Navy had accumulated over 5,400 "reactor years" of accident-free experience, and operated more than 80 nuclear-powered ships.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060403140605/https://www.navy.mil/navydata/testimony/safety/bowman031029.txt Statement of Admiral F. L. "Skip" Bowman, U.S. Navy Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program before the House Committee on Science 29 October 2003].</ref>

=== Admiral Hyman G. Rickover ===
[[Hyman G. Rickover|Admiral Hyman G. Rickover]], (1900–1986), of the United States Navy, known as "father of the nuclear navy"<ref>
{{cite book
 | last= Jeffries
 | first= John
 | year= 2001
 | title= Justice Lewis F. Powell, Jr
 | publisher= Fordham University Press
 | isbn= 0-8232-2110-5
}}
, p.162: 'Admiral Rickover', said Powell, '"father of the atomic submarine", is a great naval officer... It is not equally clear that he is a careful and thorough student of American education.'"
</ref><ref>
"Submarine Range Called Unlimited; Rickover Says Atomic Craft Can Cruise Under Ice To North Pole and Beyond", ''The New York Times'', 6 December 1957, p.33: "The admiral, who is often called the 'Father of the Atomic Submarine'..."
</ref><ref>
{{cite book
 | last= Galantin
 | first= I. J.
 | year= 1997
 | title= Submarine Admiral: From Battlewagons to Ballistic Missiles
 | publisher= University of Illinois Press
 | isbn= 0-252-06675-8
}}
, 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.'</ref>
was an [[Electrical engineering|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 on board a [[ship]] or [[submarine]], as well as to encase it sufficiently so that [[radiation]] hazards would not be a safety concern.{{Citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

Soon after [[World War II]], Rickover was assigned to the [[Bureau of Ships]] in September 1947 and received training in nuclear power at [[Oak Ridge, Tennessee]]. In February 1949 he received an assignment to the [[Division of Reactor Development]], [[United States Atomic Energy Commission|U.S. 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, {{USS|Nautilus|SSN-571|6}}, which was launched in 1954. As [[Vice Admiral]], from 1958, for three decades Rickover exercised tight control over the [[ship]]s, [[technology]], and [[personnel]] of the nuclear navy, even interviewing every prospective [[Officer (armed forces)|officer]] for new nuclear-powered navy vessels.{{Citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

=== Philip Abelson ===
Leading nuclear physicist [[Philip Abelson]] (1913–2004) turned his attention under the guidance of [[Ross Gunn]] to applying [[nuclear power]] to [[Nuclear marine propulsion|naval propulsion]]. Their early efforts at [[United States Naval Research Laboratory|Naval Research Laboratory]] (NRL) provided an early glimpse at what was to become the nuclear Navy.{{Citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

=== United States Naval reactors ===
{{main|United States Naval reactor}}

At the present time, many important vessels in the United States Navy are powered by nuclear reactors. All submarines and aircraft carriers are nuclear-powered. Several cruisers were nuclear-powered but these have all been retired.<ref>[https://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/ Federation of American Scientists, Military Analysis web site], accessed 22 October 2006.</ref>

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]], and "S" for [[submarine]]. The designers are "W" for [[Westinghouse Electric (1886)|Westinghouse]], "G" for [[General Electric]], "C" for [[Combustion Engineering]], and "B" for [[Bechtel]]. Examples are S5W, D1G, A4W, and D2W.{{Citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

Information concerning United States naval reactors may or may not be classified (see [[Classified information in the United States#Naval Nuclear Propulsion Information|Naval Nuclear Propulsion Information]]).{{Citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

==Accidents involving naval nuclear-powered vessels==
===United States===
{{Citation_needed|date=August 2019}}
*{{USS|Thresher|SSN-593}} (1963; [[Thresher/Permit class submarine|''Thresher''/''Permit''-class]]; sank, 129 killed)
*{{USS|Scorpion|SSN-589}} (1968; [[Skipjack class submarine|''Skipjack''-class]]; sank, 99 killed)
:Both sank for reasons unrelated to their reactor plants and still lie on the [[Atlantic]] sea floor.

===Russian or Soviet===
{{Citation_needed|date=August 2019}}
*[[Soviet submarine K-8|K-8]] (1960; [[November-class submarine]]; [[loss of coolant]])
*[[Soviet submarine K-19|K-19]] (1961; [[Hotel-class submarine]]; two loss of coolant accidents, 27 killed due to one accident)
*[[Soviet submarine K-11|K-11]] (1965; [[November-class submarine]]; two refueling [[Criticality accident|criticalities]])
*[[Soviet submarine K-159|K-159]] (1965; [[November-class submarine]]; radioactive discharge)
*[[Lenin (nuclear icebreaker)|''Lenin'']] (1965; [[Lenin (nuclear icebreaker)|''Lenin''-class icebreaker]]; loss of coolant)
*[[Lenin (nuclear icebreaker)|''Lenin'']] (1967; [[Lenin (nuclear icebreaker)|''Lenin''-class icebreaker]]; loss of coolant)
*[[Soviet submarine K-140|K-140]] (1968; [[Yankee-class submarine]]; [[Criticality accident|power excursion]])
*[[Soviet submarine K-8|K-8]] (loss of coolant) (1970; [[November-class submarine]]; sank after fire, 52 killed)
*[[Soviet submarine K-320|K-320]] (1970; [[Charlie-class submarine|Charlie I-class submarine]]; [[Criticality accident|uncontrolled startup]])
*[[Soviet submarine K-116|K-116]] (1979; [[Echo-class submarine|Echo II-class submarine]]; reactor accident)
*[[Soviet submarine K-122|K-122]] (1980; [[Echo-class submarine|Echo I-class submarine]]; fire, 14 killed)
*[[Soviet submarine K-222|K-222]] (1980; [[Soviet submarine K-222|Papa-class submarine]]; uncontrolled startup)
*[[Soviet submarine K-27|K-27]] (1982; Modified [[November-class submarine]]; scuttled)
*[[Soviet submarine K-123|K-123]] (1982; [[Alfa-class submarine]]; loss of coolant)
*[[Soviet submarine K-429|K-429]] (1983; [[Charlie-class submarine|Charlie I-class submarine]]; sank due to improper work at shipyard, 16 killed)
*[[Soviet submarine K-431|K-431]] (1985; [[Echo-class submarine|Echo II-class submarine]]; refueling [[Criticality accident|criticality]], 10 killed)
*[[Soviet submarine K-429|K-429]] (1985; [[Charlie-class submarine|Charlie I-class submarine]]; sank at moorings)
*[[Soviet submarine K-219|K-219]] (1986; [[Yankee-class submarine|Yankee I-class submarine]]; sank, 6 killed)
*[[Soviet submarine K-278 Komsomolets|K-278 ''Komsomolets'']] (1989; [[Soviet submarine K-278 Komsomolets|Mike-class submarine]]; sank, 42 killed)
*[[Soviet submarine K-192|K-192]] (1989; [[Echo-class submarine|Echo II-class submarine]]; loss of coolant)
*[[Russian submarine K-141 Kursk|K-141 ''Kursk]] (2000; [[Oscar-class submarine|Oscar II-class submarine]]; sank, 118 killed)
*[[Soviet submarine K-159|K-159]] (2003; [[November-class submarine]]; sank under tow, 9 killed)

:While not all of these were reactor accidents, they have a major impact on nuclear marine propulsion and the global politics because they happened to nuclear vessels. Only four Soviet nuclear submarines accidentally sank with [[nuclear weapons]] on board and remain on the sea floor to this day.<ref>[http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/nuclear/radevents/ Database of radiological incidents and related events<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

{{See also|List of military nuclear accidents}}

==Operator Timeline==
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 88%;"
|- 
! Country !! 1st PWR fabricated !! 1st PWR acquired !! 1st vessel !! Commissioned !! Notes
|-
|[[United States]] || 1953 || - || [[USS Nautilus (SSN-571)]] || 1955 || World's first nuclear submarine / vessel
|-
|[[USSR]] || 1958 || - || [[Soviet submarine K-3 Leninsky Komsomol|K-3 Leninsky Komsomol]] || 1958 ||
|-
|[[United Kingdom]] || 1965 || 1962 || [[HMS Dreadnought (S101)]] || 1963 || HMS Dreadnought utilised an imported US [[S5W reactor]], with [[HMS Valiant (S102)]] carrying the first UK built [[Rolls-Royce PWR]], in 1966.
|-
|[[Germany]] || 1968 || - || [[Otto Hahn (ship)]] || 1968 || Commercial ship, scrapped in 2009
|-
|[[France]] || 1970 || - || [[French submarine Redoutable (S611)|Redoutable (S611)]] || 1971 || 
|-
|[[Japan]] || 1970 || - || [[Mutsu (nuclear ship)]] || 1972 || Decommissioned 1992
|-
|[[China]] || 1973 || - || [[Type 091 submarine|Han (S401)]] || 1974 || 
|-
|[[Russia]] || 1992 || 1992 || K-419 Kuzbass || 1992 || The Russian navy inherited approximately 250 nuclear powered vessels from the Soviet navy, in January 1992.
|-
|[[India]] || 2016 || 1988 || [[Soviet submarine K-43|INS Chakra]] || 1998 || [[Soviet submarine K-43]], leased in 1988, and [[Russian submarine Nerpa (K-152)]], leased in 2012, have both carried the INS Chakra name. [[INS Arihant]] is India's first indigenously constructed nuclear submarine, commissioned in 2016.
|-
|[[Brazil]] || 2018 || - || [[Brazilian submarine Álvaro Alberto]] || exp. 2029 || Currently under construction the SN-10 Álvaro Alberto is to be the first nuclear vessel of the Brazilian navy, its reactor, the ''Brazilian Multipurpose Reactor'', was launched in 2018<ref>{{cite news |title=LABGENE: Conhecendo a planta nuclear do Submarino de propulsão Nuclear brasileiro|url=https://www.defesaaereanaval.com.br/naval/labgene-conhecendo-a-planta-nuclear-do-submarino-de-propulsao-nuclear-brasileiro|website=Defesa Aérea & Naval|language=pt|date=30 August 2018}}</ref> and is currently under trials, the hull will be an expanded version of the [[Scorpène-class submarine]].
|}

==See also==
* [[JASON reactor]]
* [[List of United States Naval reactors]]
* [[Naval Reactors]]
* [[Decommissioning of Russian nuclear-powered vessels]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*http://www.nukestrat.com/pubs/nep7.pdf - 1994 paper highlighting limited, public-relations only value of all-nuclear task groups given continued dependence on conventionally fuelled escorts and continuous replenishment of supplies

{{Nuclear propulsion}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nuclear Navy}}
[[Category:Navies by type]]
[[Category:Nuclear technology]]
[[Category:Nuclear-powered ships of the United States Navy|*]]