Q&A: Why Triton's propulsion suited surface radar-picket work

That was a very strange propulsion plant for a submarine.

Triton's propulsion and hull are interpreted as supporting routine high-speed surface operation in the radar-picket role.

Triton's unusual propulsion makes more sense if substantial surface operation was part of the radar-picket requirement. Her published surface speed exceeded 30 knots, and the hull appears shaped for stability above water as well as submerged travel. Its traditional form and conning-tower positions suggest routine operations at sea on the surface, beyond entering and leaving port. This is an interpretation of the visible design, with the hull compared to older submarine approaches shaped before greater emphasis on submerged performance.