The NNSA and the Navy are facing a tight deadline for developing the new power plant. The Ohio-class replacement submarines, which will carry the nation’s sea-launched nuclear missiles, will be considerably larger than the Virginia-class ships. The Virginia-class attack submarines were the first to have a core reactor designed to last the life of the vessel, which for it, is about 33 years. Olivia Volkoff, a spokeswoman for the program, said: “Eliminating the refueling through insertion of a life-of-the-ship core allows the Navy to meet the strategic deterrent mission with two fewer SSBNs and saves about $40 billion in ship acquisition and lifecycle costs over the life of the program.” So if you have a life of the sub or a life of the ship core, then you avoid both cost, and you avoid both extensive downtime as you refuel the reactor,” Klotz said.
“The other aspect is that when you go into the deep overhaul that is necessary to replace the core, you’re taking a submarine out of service for a long time. “It is extraordinarily important on cost because one of the largest elements of the total operational cost of a submarine over its life has been replacing the core when that has come due. There are two primary reasons the NNSA is undertaking the new core design, he told reporters in November. NNSA is responsible for developing government-owned nuclear power plants. Klotz, National Nuclear Security Administration administrator and the Department of Energy’s undersecretary of nuclear security. “Our goal for the new submarines is to have a life-of-the-ship reactor,” said Frank G. That is seven years longer than the current reactors aboard U.S. When that vessel is launched, the onboard nuclear power plant is expected to last its entire 40-year service life. The Navy hopes to have the first replacement for the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine on duty by 2031.
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