USS Nautilus was the world’s first nuclear submarine and was laid down in 1952. The submarine was in service from 1954 to 1980; after she was mothballed, she was turned into a museum ship and is currently located in Groton, Connecticut. While you may see that it’s a nuclear submarine, there’s more than meets the eye to the Nautilus.
The Nautilus gets its name from the submarine featured in the book 2000 Leagues Under the Sea; during her service, it was primarily used for trials and as a testbed. She participated in numerous training exercises, as well as participated in the Cuban missile crisis as part of the blockade. The Nautilus was powered by a STR nuclear reactor that powered 2 steam-driven propeller shafts.
SPECS
Length: 320 ft
Beam: 28 ft
Draft: 26 ft
Power: 13,400 hp
Top Speed: 23 Knots
Surface: 23
Submerged: At least 20 Knots (exact speed unknown)
Max depth: 700 meters
Range: Limited by provisions for crew, expected range is about 20 years
Crew: 11 officers, 105 enlisted
Sensors:
BQR-4 passive sonar system
In reality, towards the end of her service, her sonar became ineffective at speeds greater than 4 knots due to the vibration of the hull and superstructure, However this issue was not present in its early life)
Radar (type unknown)
Weaponry:
6 torpedo tubes
Capacity: 24
Late torpedo
MK48 (1980+)
Guidance: internal or wire-guided
Range: (official) More than 5 miles
Warhead: Explosive type unknown 647 Lbs
Speed: (official) greater than 28 knots
Detonation:
Surface targets: proxy fuse underneath the keel
Submerged targets: proxy fuse
Early Torpedo
MK-14 (WW2-1980)
Guidance: Gyroscopic
Range: About 4100 meters at high-speed setting/8200 meters at low-speed setting
Warhead: Torpex 643 Lbs
Speed: (max) 46 knots, (low-speed setting) 31 knots
Detonation:
Surface targets: impact/magnetic
Submerged targets: impact/magnetic
Sources
https://ussnautilus.org/
USS Nautilus (SSN-571) - Wikipedia (measurements mainly)
Mark 48 torpedo - Wikipedia
The USS Nautilus (SSN-571).
Mark 14 torpedo - Wikipedia
- Yes
- No