why submarines use nuclear power, but other sea-faring military vessels don’t.

Question

Realised that most modern submarines (and some aircraft carriers) use nuclear power, but destroyers and frigates don’t. I don’t imagine it’s a size thing, so I’m not sure what else it could be.

In: Engineering

Answer 1

OP should note that in 1970s the US navy also operated nuclear powered cruisers, the last of which was decommissioned in 1980. There was a move for entirely nuclear powered carrier battle groups but the advent of the Arliegh Burk class of missile destroyers became cost prohibitive for nuclear power.