Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 6:59:02-7:00:00

Why the Cold War US Navy built unusual one-off SSNs

Unique propulsion and sensor arrangements were part of an experimental phase before the navy settled on repeatable submarine designs.

Cold WarNuclear Attack SubmarinesPrototypingResearch And DevelopmentSonarSubmarine PropulsionUS Navy
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Question

Why did the Cold War US Navy operate several unique SSNs with unusual propulsion or sensing features, unlike today?

Short answer

They tested competing ideas during development, after which a successful arrangement could be repeated.

Notes

The unusual Cold War SSNs were development boats for trying competing ideas. Their different propulsion and sensing arrangements belong to a period when the preferred combination was still being learned. Once a design worked, repeating it reduced the need to pursue every alternative through another unique boat.