The class discussion pairs nine conventional Belknaps with the nuclear-powered Truxtun, then asks what a sustained one-in-ten policy might have produced. Such a fleet could give each carrier battle group at least one nuclear-powered surface escort. The laser and railgun aside connects that hypothetical policy to the electrical demand of future weapons, while acknowledging that efficiency and system design remain part of the problem. It frames Truxtun as a test of fleet structure as well as propulsion.
Notable Point · 10:44-12:27
One nuclear escort in each batch
A counterfactual question asks what the US Navy might have gained if every ten-ship surface-combatant batch had included one nuclear escort.