Due to the significant complexity and extremely high cost, nuclear cruisers were available only in the fleets of two superpowers - the Soviet Union and the United States. And if, atomic submarines and aircraft carriers, no one doubts their combat effectiveness, then with atomic cruisers everything is much more complicated. Until now, there are discussions about the need for nuclear power plants for surface non-airborne ships.
Nuclear submarines have become truly "submarines" rather than "diving" boats. The use of nuclear power plants allowed submarines 90% of their time on a combat campaign to be submerged. Of course, this dramatically increased the secrecy and security of submarines.
A somewhat paradoxical situation has developed with nuclear aircraft carriers. It's no secret that classic US Navy strike aircraft carriers are equipped with launching steam catapults. The use of steam catapults makes it possible to increase the take-off weight of aircraft (and, consequently, the combat load) and ensures a confident take-off in any weather conditions (this is a very important point - for example, the air group of the Russian heavy aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov" cannot fly in northern latitudes in winter due to icing of the nasal springboard).
But steam catapults require a huge amount of water vapor - and this was the main obstacle for the designers of the catapults. During intensive flights, the consumption of water vapor is so great that an aircraft carrier with a conventional power plant sharply slows down until it comes to a complete stop. The appearance of nuclear reactors and their indispensable companions - powerful steam generating plants - made it possible to radically solve the problem. Now a couple was enough for everyone - both pilots and sailors. Only a nuclear power plant is capable of providing an aircraft carrier with the required amount of steam. Actually, this is what caused the appearance of nuclear power plants on aircraft carriers, and not the notorious "unlimited cruising range."
The first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Enterprise was able to provide 160 sorties per day, while its non-nuclear counterparts of the Forrestall and Kitty Hawk types - no more than 100. All this indicated the undoubted need for nuclear power plants for aircraft-carrying ships.
Nuclear cruisers
During the Second World War, when naval battles took place over the vast expanses of the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean, all American destroyers, for example, of the Gearing type or the Forrest Sherman type, were calculated for an ocean cruising range of 4500 - 5000 nautical miles at a speed of 20 knots (for example: the Soviet missile cruiser pr. 58 "Grozny", 1960, had an economic range of 3500 miles). But, as before, the most pressing problem of destroyers was their low autonomy.
That is why, when in the post-war years the question arose about the introduction of nuclear power plants on surface ships, the projects of nuclear destroyers were considered first.
Calculations showed that the use of a combined boiler and turbine and gas turbine COSAG unit made it possible to obtain a range of 6,000 miles. The disadvantage of this option was the complexity of the propulsion system and the need to use two types of fuel at once, since the gas turbine could not operate on bunker oil.
In view of all of the above, in August 1953, Navy specialists began developing the DDN nuclear destroyer project. However, an unpleasant moment soon became clear - even the use of the most powerful at that time promising SAR (Submarine Advanced Reactor) type reactor could not solve the problem with the destroyer's power plant. The SAR provided 17,000 hp on the shaft, while the destroyer required at least 60,000 hp. To obtain the required power, 4 reactors were required, with a total weight of 3000 tons, which exceeded the standard displacement of a Forrest Sherman-class destroyer. The project was closed already in September.
On August 17, 1954, Admiral Orly Burke became the chief of staff of the US Navy, having gained solid experience in commanding destroyers during World War II. The day after taking office, he sent a request to the Bureau of Shipbuilding about the possibility of installing a nuclear reactor on a destroyer, cruiser and aircraft carrier. The answer to the destroyer was negative. The minimum total displacement of a ship with a nuclear power plant was estimated at 8500 tons.
An active supporter of nuclear destroyers was Rear Admiral John Daniel, who served as commander of the Atlantic destroyer forces. He sent Burke weekly reports to win him over to his side. He was supported by the legendary Hyman D. Rikover, who began in his department the development of the lightweight reactor D1G. And although it was not possible to create a reactor for a 4000-ton destroyer, the result of these developments was the D2G reactor, installed on all subsequent American nuclear frigates.
In 1957, the parallel design of two nuclear-powered ships began: the destroyer DDN (in the hull and armed with the Forrest Sherman destroyer) and the frigate DLGN (in the hull and armed with the Legi-class escort cruiser URO, with a displacement of 6,000 tons).
For the nuclear destroyer, the following power plant scheme was proposed: with a standard displacement of 3500 tons, the ship was equipped with one SAR-type reactor, providing an unlimited cruising range with a 20-knot stroke. In full speed mode, 6 gas turbines with a capacity of 7000 hp were involved. each, providing a course of 30 knots with a cruising range of 1000 miles (a similar scheme is used on modern Russian heavy nuclear cruisers).
Subsequently, the DDN project was discontinued as impracticable, and the DLGN project formed the basis for the Bainbridge light nuclear cruiser (DLGN-25, hereinafter - CGN-25).
The cost of building Bainbridge was estimated at $ 108 million, although during the construction process the amount increased by another half, reaching a value of $ 160 million. (for comparison: the cost of building escort cruisers of the "Legy" type, identical to the "Bainbridge" in size, design and armament, was 49 million dollars)
The Americans began designing the first nuclear-powered missile cruiser Long Beach (CGN-9) in 1955. It was supposed to create an escort missile cruiser to interact with the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier "Enterprise". Power plant "Long Beach" C1W was created on the basis of the S5W reactor used on the first nuclear submarines. Due to the constant lack of power, two such reactors had to be installed on the cruiser, and the total weight of the nuclear power plant turned out to be 5 times more than the boiler-turbine one of the same power. As a result, the cruiser increased dramatically in size, and its total displacement reached 18 thousand tons. Despite its powerful weapons and long trouble-free service, Long Beach remained the only ship of its type, the "white elephant" of the American fleet.
Thug cruiser
Given the prohibitive prices of projects and the problems faced by American sailors when creating the first nuclear-powered cruisers, it is easy to understand their reaction to the proposal of Congress to build another cruiser with nuclear power. The sailors recoiled from this idea as from a leper, although American public opinion wanted to see new nuclear ships in the Navy, personifying the military power of the fleet in those years. As a result, at the initiative of Congress, funds were allocated and on May 27, 1967, the US Navy received the third nuclear cruiser. An amazing case, because usually everything happens exactly the opposite - the command of the naval forces begs the congressmen for money for a new superweapon project.
The nuclear-powered cruiser Trakstan (CGN-35) was technically a copy of Belknap-class light escort cruisers URO with the same type of electronic systems and weapons. "Trakstan", the standard displacement of which was just over 8000 tons, became the world's smallest nuclear powered cruiser.
New generation
The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Enterprise frightened the whole world, becoming a headache for Soviet admirals. But, despite his excellent fighting qualities, he scared his creators at an exorbitant price. Still, it was set in motion by 8 nuclear reactors! Therefore, in the 60s, the Americans chose to build their last 4 Kitty Hawk-class aircraft carriers with a conventional propulsion system.
And yet, as a result of the Vietnam War, the American sailors had to return to aircraft carriers with nuclear power plants - as we have already said, only a powerful nuclear steam generating installation can provide the catapults with the required amount of steam. The US Navy was so disappointed in the Kitty Hawks that even the last ship of the series, John F. Kennedy, was planned to be modernized by installing a nuclear power plant on it.
On June 22, 1968, a new aircraft carrier, Chester W. Nimitz, was laid down, equipped with 2 Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors. The lead ship in a series of 10 multipurpose aircraft carriers. The new ship needed a new escort. The increasing power of the USSR Navy made people forget about the cost of ships and again the topic of nuclear cruisers became relevant.
The first two nuclear-powered cruisers were laid down under the California project in the early 70s. "California" (CGN-56) and "South Carolina" (CGN-57) were equipped with two single-beam launchers Mk-13 (ammunition for 80 anti-aircraft missiles Stadard-1 Medium Range), new naval five-inch cannon Mk-45, anti-submarine "box" complex ASROC and auxiliary systems, among which were installed during the modernization of the 20-mm six-barreled systems "Falanx" and anti-ship missiles "Harpoon". Why did I list the systems included in the cruiser weapons complex for so long? As you can see, California did not carry any unusual weapons systems, only the price of a small cruiser with a total displacement of 10,000 tons was unusually high.
The next 4 cruisers were laid down according to the improved Virginia project. The ship "grew" in size - the total displacement increased to 12,000 tons. "Virginias" received universal launchers Mk-26, designed to launch the new SAM Standard-2 of all modifications, up to "Extended Range" and ASROC PLUR. Subsequently, 2 ALB (Armored Launch Box) four-charge containers were installed on the helipad to launch the Tomahawk missile launcher. The main emphasis in the design of "Virginia" was placed on the development of electronic means, a combat information and control system and increasing the survivability of ships.
In the 80s, projects for the modernization of American nuclear cruisers were discussed, but with the appearance of the Aegis destroyers of the Orly Burke type, their fate was finally decided - all 9 ships with nuclear power plants were scrapped, and many of them did not serve half of the planned term. Compared to the promising Aegis destroyer, they had an order of magnitude higher operating cost, and no modernization could bring their capabilities even close to the capabilities of the Orly Burke.
Reasons for the refusal of Americans to use nuclear cruisers
1. Nuclear power plants have a colossal cost, which is further aggravated by the cost of nuclear fuel and its further disposal.
2. Nuclear power plants are much larger in size than conventional power plants. Concentrated loads and larger dimensions of the energy compartments require a different arrangement of the premises and a significant redevelopment of the hull design, which increases the cost of designing a ship. In addition to the reactor itself and the steam generating installation, the nuclear power plant necessarily requires several circuits with their own biological shielding, filters and an entire seawater desalination plant. Firstly, bidistillate is vital for the reactor, and secondly, it makes no sense to increase the cruising range for fuel if the crew has limited supplies of fresh water.
3. Maintenance of nuclear power plants requires a larger number of personnel, and more highly qualified. This entails an even greater increase in displacement and operating costs.
4. The survivability of a nuclear-powered cruiser is significantly less than a similar cruiser with a power plant. A damaged gas turbine and a damaged reactor circuit are fundamentally different things.
5. The autonomy of the ship in terms of fuel reserves is clearly not enough. There is autonomy in terms of production, spare parts and materials, and ammunition. According to these articles, a nuclear-powered surface ship has no advantages over a non-nuclear one.
In view of all of the above, the construction of classic nuclear cruisers does not make sense.
Russian way
One gets the impression that the Soviet generals attached importance to things, to put it mildly, strange. Despite the obvious miscalculations of the Americans, our naval commanders thought for a long time, looking at the nuclear cruisers of the "potential enemy", and finally, in 1980, their dream came true - the first heavy nuclear missile cruiser of the Orlan project entered the USSR Navy. In total, they managed to lay 4 TARKRs, project 1144, each of which carried the entire range of naval weapons - from giant supersonic missiles with nuclear warheads to rocket bombs and 130-mm artillery guns.
The main purpose of these ships is still not clear: the nuclear submarines of project 949A are much better suited to counter the AUG. The boat has a larger ammunition load (24 P-700 "Granite" versus 20 for the TARKR pr. 1144), higher stealth and security, and therefore the probability of completing the task. And to drive a giant 26,000-ton ship to the shores of Somalia in order to shoot pirate boats from a 130-mm cannon … As they say, a solution has been found. It remains to find the task.
Conclusion
In 2012, the US plans to lay down the first nuclear-powered cruisers under the CGN (X) project. But do not delude yourself, the Americans do not plan to repeat their past mistakes. CGN (X) is nothing like a cruiser. It is a floating island, a launch platform with a displacement of 25,000 tons, capable of being in a remote area of the oceans for years. The main and only task is missile defense. Armament - 512 interceptor missiles with a kinetic warhead.
