Here is a history of USS Nautilus (SSN-571):
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/see-sub-it-led-navy-build-all-nuclear-submarine-force-80431
I served aboard Nautilus from 1976-1980 and was a member of her decommissioning crew. I was her final Main Propulsion Assistant (MPA) and the last underway Engineering Officer of the Watch (EOOW).
Although she was noisy, we held our own during an exercise with USS Los Angeles, which at the time was a top-of-the-line attack sub. We could hear her, but she could not hear us. There always are places to hide underwater.
And I disagree with the claim she "made 2,507 dives and traveled 513,550 miles without incident". Nautilus collided with an aircraft carrier in 1966, almost sank alongside the pier and when at sea on more than one occasion during my tour, and broke down so frequently we couldn't keep track.
But she was a good boat, first of her kind, and definitely has a place in the hearts of all who took her to sea.
Here's another screed suggesting we need DIESEL subs:
ReplyDeletehttps://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/enough-nuclear-all-reasons-us-navy-needs-diesel-submarines-80566
Who exactly is the enemy? China and Russia are not going to attack us unless we goad them into attacking - and we certainly don't have to. Same with the North Koreans. They only are our enemy because that's the way we want it.
The only other conceivable nuclear threat is Israel, and they allegedly are our "friends". But do friends spy on friends, kill their citizens, and brazenly steal from each other? I don't think so.
We soon will run out of money, and all this will come to an end.