SURFACE VESSELS HEARINGS BEFORE THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON ATOMIC ENERGY EIGHTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON NUCLEAR PROPULSION FOR NAVAL SURFACE VESSELS 26-152 OCTOBER 30, 31, AND NOVEMBER 13, 1963 Printed for the use of the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1964 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office J 6612 788 A852 N822 FOREWORD CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES, JOINT COMMITTEE ON ATOMIC ENERGY, January 11, 1964. On October 30, 31, and November 13, 1963, the Joint Committee held executive bearings on the "Application of Nuclear Propulsion to Naval Surface Vessels." Classified security information was presented during the executive session. In line with the committee's longstanding tradition and practice of making public as much information as possible consistent with classification regulations and national defense needs, the transcript was then referred to the Department of Defense and the Department of Navy for designation of classified items in the transcript. These items were then deleted from the transcript and this unclassified record of the hearing released for publication. These hearings were held pursuant to the Joint Committee's responsibility under section 202 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, to "make continuing studies of *** problems relating to the development, use, and control of atomic energy," and the duty incumbent upon the members of the committee to make recommendations to their respective Houses. Subsequent to the hearings, the committee analyzed the information received and prepared a Joint Committee print entitled "Nuclear Propulsion for Naval Surface Vessels" which was released on December 22, 1963. Based on an analysis of the information received in these hearings the committee, in summary, reached the following conclusions and recommendations which were published in the committee report: 1. Nuclear propulsion provides significant military advantages for surface warships It is an indisputable, demonstrated fact that nuclear propulsion increases the combat effectiveness of our surface warships. Nuclear propulsion has the fundamental advantage of permitting our warships to go anywhere in the world, to deliver their combat load, and to return; all without logistic support. Nuclear propulsion in the combatant ships will free the striking forces of our Navy from the obvious restrictions of reliance on a worldwide propulsion fuel distribution system. As our potential enemies continue to improve their capabilities over, under, and on the sea, the importance of reducing our dependence on logistic support becomes increasingly critical. Certain cost effectiveness comparisons were made within the Defense Department and cited to support the contention that the advantages of nuclear propulsion in surface warships are not particularly significant, and that the aircraft carrier in the fiscal III year 1963 program, CVA 67, should be built with conventional propulsion. These studies, however, contain a fundamental weakness that, in the opinion of the Joint Committee, negates their validity. The comparisons cited were based on the assumption that, in wartime, logistic support forces will be able to operate unhampered and without losses as they do in peacetime. The defect in this analysis is immediately apparent. We must plan for time of crisis. It is precisely in such situations that the superior mobility, maneuverability, and reliability of nuclear warships will give the United States an unequaled naval striking force. It is fundamentally illogical and wasteful to fit our new first line warships with powerplants that are, perhaps, already obsolete. 2. Increased costs attributable to nuclear power are minor As a result of the committee's review of all costs associated with a warship, the committee concludes that the increased costs attributable to nuclear power are minor. The total lifetime cost of the nuclear carrier with its aircraft is estimated to be only about 3 percent more than the lifetime cost of the conventional carrier with its aircraft. It is apparent that the increased cost of nuclear power is not significant in relation to its demonstrated military advantages. 3. The new aircraft carrier CVA-67 should have nuclear power In the light of our experience with nuclear surface ships; their demonstrated military advantages, and the relatively small additional costs properly attributable to nuclear power, the committee concludes that CVA-67 should be nuclear powered. 4. All future firstline surface warships should have nuclear power The committee believes that each new warship the United States decides to build for our firstline naval striking force (major warships) should be the best that our technology will allow and should, therefore, have nuclear propulsion, even if a somewhat higher cost is incurred to pay for the increase in military capability. 5. Research and development program for nuclear-powered surface warships should be continued. The committee concludes that the research and development program on surface vessel nuclear propulsion plants, under Vice Adm. Hyman G. Rickover, has been eminently successful. The committee expects that development work now in progress will continue to lead to major additional technical strides in the future. RECOMMENDATIONS The Joint Committee on Atomic Energy recommends: 1. That the decision announced by the Secretary of Defense on October 25, 1963, to install conventional propulsion in the new aircraft carrier CVA-67 should be set aside and plans made to install nuclear propulsion in this ship; and 2. That the United States adopt the policy of utilizing nuclear propulsion in all future major surface warships; and 3. That a vigorous research and development program for surface warship nuclear propulsion be continued. The Joint Committee on Atomic Energy in its report made it clear that it does not address itself to the question of whether aircraft carriers or any other types of naval ships should or should not be built. Such matters are the responsibility of the Defense Department and committees of the Congress other than the Joint Committee. The Joint Committee, though, is charged, by law, with the responsibility for making continuing studies of problems relating to the development, use, and control of atomic energy. These hearings and the committee's report on the hearings are addressed to this responsibility. Accordingly, it is the belief of the committee that, if warships of the type for which nuclear powerplants have been developed are built, they should be propelled by nuclear power. |