Nuclear-powered ships

The boom in naval nuclear propulsion, the first application of the atomic power reactor, can be attributed to a few key aspects of this energy source:

• This anaerobic energy source is particularly well-suited to submarine propulsion, as it is the only one currently available that can deliver a high level of energy in the absence of an oxidizer;

• its use gives ships, especially submarines, a high degree of autonomy, a considerable operational advantage for a navy.

This article deals with the development of nuclear-powered ships and the design of nuclear-powered ships. Pressurized water reactor technology for naval propulsion is covered in BN 3 141 "Nuclear boilers for naval propulsion".