Why is nuclear-powered the standard for submarines, when not for ferry, small ships and vessels ?
In: Engineering
Nuclear is only really the standard for ballistic missile submarines. Their mission is deterrence, they want to cruise around an empty patch of ocean as long as possible without seeing or being seen by anyone or anything, always ready to launch some missiles. Being able to stay deep underwater continuously for months is great for them.
If you’re an attack submarine, it’s not nearly as much of an advantage. Diesel-electric is much cheaper and can be quieter. It may be nice sometimes, so you might build some if you already have nuclear missile subs.
For most other things, it’s way too much of a headache and not really worth the bother.
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