How fast nuclear submarine

This would also imply that Australia will have to rely on another nation for nuclear fuel. Only six countries in the world — America, Britain, China, France, India and Russia — currently operate nuclear-powered submarines. US officials said the sensitive nuclear propulsion technology was unlikely to be shared again soon. In India, the proposal to indigenously build six nuclear-powered attack submarines for Rs 96, crore has been stuck with the Cabinet Committee on Security.

The first of the new French-designed submarines was expected to be operational in , with each subsequent submarine delivered every two years. The decision has not gone down well with France, with the government saying it was "regrettable". China wasn't happy with the move, saying that "countries should not build exclusionary blocs targeting or harming the interests of third parties. Paris is livid with its foreign minister saying the decision by Australia to get nuclear-submarines from America instead felt like a stab in the back.

To be fair, despite the French outburst, there had been indications of problems with the project for several years now. Firstpost Conversations 9 Months S. Home World News Australia to get nuclear submarines: All you need to know about them and why they are important in maritime security. What is a nuclear submarine? However, for all its benefits, the nuclear submarine does have some disadvantages. Nuclear submarines are often bigger and thus less manoeuvrable in shallow coastal waters.

Australia joins the Big 6 Only six countries in the world — America, Britain, China, France, India and Russia — currently operate nuclear-powered submarines. Nuclear submarines are also more complicated to maintain and service. Unlike the US and UK, Australia does not have a domestic nuclear power industry, which could provide a highly skilled workforce of engineers and nuclear physicists.

Much of the work on the subs will probably have to be done overseas. It is also not clear what plans are being made to handle the spent uranium. The Australian government has been working to build a controversial nuclear waste storage facility in Kimba in South Australia , but this proposal has so far been limited to low-level and intermediate waste from sites around the country. It depends.

Diesel-electric subs are quieter while running in electric mode, but must at some point surface or pop up a snorkel to run their diesel engines and recharge the batteries. When the diesel engines are running, these noisier than nuclear-powered subs. Nuclear subs also generate noise from the reactor, including the coolant pipes, turbines and steam generation. The US Virginia-class submarines typically use highly enriched uranium HEU that does not need replacing during the lifecycle of each submarine.

Other countries like France use high-density, low-enriched uranium that will occasionally require swapping out with a replacement source. HEU is one of the most dangerous metals on earth and also one of the simplest nuclear materials to work with. These twin traits also make it a security risk over fears rogue states or terrorists might develop a nuclear weapon, or mishaps trigger a serious accident. It is also why it has been targeted under non-proliferation treaties to reduce its use. Using the Virginia-class as an example, the build comes equipped with 12 vertical missile launch tubes and four mm torpedo tubes.

It is capable of launching 16 Tomahawk cruise missiles in one salvo but can be modified to mount heavier weapons systems.

While these missiles could potentially be built to carry a nuclear warhead, as of the only variations of the Tomahawk missile in operation were non-nuclear. Serving on a naval submarine has not always been a pleasant experience.

For example, German U-boat crews in the second world war suffered devastating losses and many were killed not just in combat but from catastrophic mechanical failures, including asphyxiation from diesel exhaust or explosive decompression after flushing a toilet. When it comes to nuclear subs, radiation adds a new dimension, although there have been no known reactor meltdowns in the sinkings that have occurred to date.

The most recent nuclear sub disaster involved the Russian Kursk, which sank after a faulty weld on a torpedo caused an explosion that then detonated other torpedos. All of the crew members died. Many were instantly killed in the initial blasts, although failsafes in the nuclear reactor shut it down without incident.

The 23 sailors who survived the blasts spent six hours awaiting a rescue that did not come, and were killed in a desperate attempt to create oxygen. This article is more than 1 month old.