Imagine the thoughts going through the
minds of the captain and crew of the world's first nuclear-powered
submarine, USS Nautilus, when it put to sea for the very first time
- 50 years ago this morning.
Not only did they have to take a new submarine to sea, but also
they had to control the splitting of the atom in a small space
aboard a submerged submarine - in constant danger from the nuclear
fission's tremendous heat and life-threatening radiation.
So it's likely that Nautilus' crew didn't give much thought to the
fact that they were ushering in the atomic age's next phase - and
altering naval warfare forever - when they cast off their lines and
flashed the now-historic message, "Underway On Nuclear
Power."
Prior to Nautilus, submarines were powered by a dangerous
combination of batteries (for submerged operations) and diesel
engines (for surface operations and recharging the batteries.)
Because of the noxious fumes, the diesel engines could only run
while the subs were on (or near) the sea's surface, making them
vulnerable to the enemy.
Naval nuclear power, under the colorful leadership of Admiral
Hyman Rickover, ended all that. Nautilus was able to remain
submerged for weeks, even months without surfacing. The only thing
limiting Nautilus' undersea endurance was the crew's sanity and
food supply.
Over the next several years, Nautilus shattered all submerged
speed and distance records. For instance, in 1958, Nautilus
departed Pearl Harbor with top secret orders to conduct "Operation
Sunshine."
A few weeks later, with 116 men aboard, Nautilus proclaimed
another record when it broadcast, "Nautilus 90 North." Nautilus had
reached the freezing waters of the geographic North Pole.
Besides the Jules Verne-like breakthrough in naval and nuclear
engineering, Nautilus was only the beginning. She was followed by
generations of nuclear submarines - and, eventually, surface ships.
(Today, 11 of the Navy's 13 aircraft carriers are
nuclear-powered.)
Perhaps more important than man's harnessing of the atom to
produce energy was the tectonic shift in warfare that came with
Nautilus. Soviet spies could report the take-off of SAC nuclear
bombers from their bases. And overhead satellites could monitor
land-based ICBM silos.
But now the U.S. soon sent ballistic-missile nuclear submarines to
sea, where they could remain submerged (and undetectable by the
enemy) for months at a time. This was real strategic deterrence,
and no doubt had a hand in preventing the horrors of a nuclear war
between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.
But some now say that the submarine is a Cold War relic. The
Soviet Union is gone and the "Hunt for Red October" is over.
Not so.
The Navy's 14 nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarines, each
outfitted with 24 Trident nuclear-tipped ICBMs, continue to provide
the U.S. with our strategic nuclear-strike and deterrent capability
as they lurk in undisclosed depths around the world.
Meanwhile, nuclear subs provide the stealth and firepower needed
in today's 24/7 battlespace. In fact, the Navy's 53 nuclear-powered
attack submarines are some of our best spies. Operating close to
shore, intelligence gathered by subs can provide timely information
about the enemy's intentions and capabilities - without the risk of
an international incident.
(As a result, over the last 10 years, submarine intelligence
operations have doubled, while the sub force has declined 40
percent.)
In addition to hunting ships and other subs with torpedoes,
American attack submarines, carrying (pilotless) Tomahawk cruise
missiles, can strike land and sea targets without warning from
hundreds of miles offshore. And four additional ballistic-missile
submarines are currently being converted to carry large numbers of
Tomahawk, too.
Nautilus was decommissioned in 1980 after 25 years of service,
logging only half a million miles. Today, nuclear-powered warships
have safely steamed over 119 million miles - nearly 5,000 trips
around the world.
The Navy itself operates 103 nuclear reactors - equaling the
number of civilian commercial nuclear reactors in the U.S. And its
nuclear-safety record has been exemplary.
Nuclear power enhances our Navy's ability to sail quickly to
trouble spots, and arrive ready for action. The Navy's 82
nuclear-powered warships are the mainstay of our forward presence
and power projection strategy across the globe.
But perhaps most important, Nautilus is a testimony to the
American pioneering spirit and boundless technical ingenuity. It
should remind Americans of the importance of the endless pursuit of
excellence and innovation - not to mention the tremendous
professionalism and bravery of U.S. servicemen and women past and
present.
Such service is not without risk.
The recent collision of the American nuclear attack submarine USS
San Francisco with an unplotted undersea mountain in the western
Pacific off of the island of Guam (killing one sailor and injuring
at least 60 others) is a stark reminder of the dangers of the
American Navy's "Silent Service."
But submarine duty remains essential to America's national
security in these dangerous times. So, to our brave submariners on
this important anniversary: Run Silent, Run Deep - and thanks for a
job well done.
Peter Brookes is
a Heritage Foundation senior fellow. E-mail: [email protected]
First appeared in the New York Post