Submarine tenders need economical conventional power

Should submarine tenders use nuclear propulsion?

Conventional propulsion keeps tenders affordable enough to disperse several ships among possible rearmament and resupply positions.

A tender sails to a support position and waits for submarines to come alongside. It does not need the sustained high speed or long patrol endurance that can justify a nuclear plant in a combatant. Gas turbines are the suggested alternative. Keeping each ship affordable allows the Navy to buy more tenders and spread its support capacity across more locations. Their operational value comes from multiplying the places where submarines can rearm and resupply.