AutomaticJack wrote:
slowguy wrote:
I generally wonder why a country with a relatively small Navy and defense budget would want nuclear submarines. I’m well aware of the advantages of a nuclear boat over a diesel boat, but the downside in terms of cost is pretty big. And I’m not referring to the cost of a submarine, but rather the associated costs that go with the maintenance, support, and especially the high level of training required for crews to operate safely. There is a huge amount of tail that goes with that tooth.
I have to be careful, but this was being discussed over the weekend by several of my friends. We are all Nuclear Trained, some retired, some are out, and some are still in. All vets of or active in, the submarine service.
This is a tri-country deal with the US, Britain, and Australia. The US initially trained the British operators, and their boats are a basic copy of ours. The way they run the engineering plant is slightly different, but the basics are the same.
Australia is still in the British Commonwealth so they could be trained by the British who have copied our pipeline over the years. As far as maintenance, again, the British have the infrastructure already in place and could easily contract it out. Our only involvement will most likely be supplying some of the hardware and technology.
For those that are unfamiliar with how a kid out of high school or a kid who just graduated college ends up operating the nuclear reactor on a submarine, there is a school in Charleston SC. You enlist, or sign a contract, you go to boot camp (or OCS), then you are assigned to Nuc School in Charleston. That is 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, for 6 months. After that you are assigned to a land-based power plant that looks just like the inside of a submarine engineering plant where again you are taught to operate the plant - 12 hours a day in a rotating shift. Then if you are in the top of both schools you might be selected to 3 more months of specialized training.
After you graduate (and there is a very high attrition rate - in the early 80's when I went though it about 70% were lost) you are sent to a sea command where you start all that over again. Qualifying senior in rate takes about 18 to 24 months.
MMCS(SS) Retired
So Senior Chief, since you still must be careful and since your personal nuclear power experience is beyond that of even some of the architects of AUKUS. Would you care to weigh in?
Rolls Royce as the power source for the new AUK Astute given their first boats and training pipeline would be with the Virginian class. I would suspect the similarities would make for a somewhat easy transition for when they take ownership of their new boats. How difficult really?
I thought Windy's last reference was very thorough and it would seem that the 18 months from the concept of alliance to it's formal announcement was well spent and they have covered all the bases complete with NPT waivers and the disposal of spent fuel. Are you optimistic, encouraged or what for the new players here?
