Truxtun's use as an anti-submarine-warfare school ship seems counterintuitive because a nuclear plant can create noise. Nuclear attack submarines nevertheless hunt other submarines, and reactor plants can be quieted. Nuclear propulsion also supplies ample electrical power for sensor processing. The Kirov program's origins in a nuclear-powered ASW design show why propulsion noise was only one part of the tradeoff.
Notable Point · 59:51-1:01:02
Truxtun tests nuclear power in anti-submarine warfare
The ASW school-ship role raises the tension between reactor noise and the abundant electrical power available for sensors and processing.