Because Truxtun closely matched the conventional Belknaps apart from propulsion, she provided a useful comparison of what nuclear power added. Nuclear construction, disposal, and specialist training were costly, but a carrier group gained an escort that did not consume bunker fuel and could keep pace with a nuclear carrier. A hypothetical one-in-ten nuclear Burke subclass extends the same reasoning into a much larger modern shipbuilding program. The Navy could recruit engineers for reactor training, although civilian earning power made them difficult to retain after their initial tours.
Notable Point · 56:22-59:43
A nuclear sister ship isolates the logistics tradeoff
Building Truxtun beside conventional Belknaps creates a practical comparison of nuclear cost, endurance, escort speed, and specialist training.