The Type 83 propulsion tradeoff

Will the Royal Navy adopt nuclear-powered surface ships?

Probably not, although the size and power demands of Type 83 make nuclear propulsion a conceivable alternative to gas turbines.

The public requirement for lower-emission government procurement creates the starting point. A globally deployable air-defence ship needs substantial speed, electrical power, and hull volume, which narrows the practical propulsion choices. Nuclear power can satisfy those demands without conventional exhaust, but it brings a price and institutional burden beyond ordinary destroyer programmes. The nuclear case is technically interesting, although gas propulsion is likely to win on affordability.