As the name implies, the character of the U.S. nuclear Navy, which consists of more than 50 attack and strategic ballistic missile submarines as well as all the aircraft carriers, is determined by its unique power plants. Nuclear power allows these vessels to operate in ways that conventionally-powered ships and submarines simply could not. There is only one U.S. company that makes naval reactors: BWXT. It is a national treasure when it comes to the design, fabrication, fueling and decommissioning of nuclear reactors. I have written about the importance of BWXT to U.S. national security for the National Interest here.
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