United States Navy Nuclear Propulsion The United States Navy Nuclear Propulsion community consists of Naval Officer s and Enlisted members who are specially trained to run and maintain the nuclear reactors that power the submarines and aircraft carriers of the United States Navy . Operating more than 80 nuclear - powered ships , the United States Navy is currently the largest naval force in the world . History . The United States Navy first began research into the applications of nuclear power in 1946 at the Manhattan Project ’ s nuclear power - focused laboratory to develop a nuclear power plant . Eight men were assigned to the project . One of these men was Admiral Hyman G . Rickover , who is known as the “ Father of the Nuclear Navy . ” Submarines . The first nuclear - powered submarine , the USS " Nautilus " , was launched and commissioned in 1954 . The development of the nuclear - powered submarine greatly increased capabilities ; the duration a sub could remain underwater was now limited only by food supply . By using power generated from the reactor , air was able to be continually recycled and water was able to be distilled from seawater . The nuclear - powered sub could also reach and maintain much higher speeds than its predecessors . Shortly after the USS " Nautilus " , the USS " Seawolf " was commissioned . The reactor engine in the USS " Seawolf " was a liquid metal - cooled ( sodium ) reactor . This proved to be a more difficult reactor to maintain and was eventually replaced with a pressurized - water reactor , the same design used in the USS " Nautilus " . The first production run of nuclear submarines was the , which was followed by the . The " Skipjack " was designed with a more advanced teardrop hull that provided greater hydrodynamics , which allowed the submarines to achieve higher speeds while producing less noise . Today , the United States Navy operates four different classes of submarine : the , , and es . The United States has a total of 71 submarines in active duty . All are nuclear - powered . There are 18 " Ohio " class , 7 " Virginia " class , 3 " Seawolf " class and 43 " Los Angeles " class . Aircraft carriers . Shortly to follow in utilizing nuclear technology was the aircraft carrier . Commissioned in 1961 , the USS " Enterprise " was the first nuclear - powered aircraft carrier . The first production class of nuclear - powered aircraft carrier is the . Ten " Nimitz " - class aircraft carriers in total were produced with all remaining in active duty . This class of aircraft carrier is currently intended to be replaced with the . The " Gerald R . Ford " - class aircraft carriers are still in production , with three currently being produced . There are plans to produce an additional seven vessels . The United States to this day has a total of 11 nuclear - powered aircraft carriers and controls the largest carrier fleet in the world . Nuclear equipment . Power generation . All of the Navy ’ s submarines and aircraft carriers are propelled by nuclear power . In order for this to happen , each ship essentially contains a small nuclear power plant . The power generated by this reactor is created through nuclear fission . During the process of nuclear fission , there are two products of significant importance in the reactor : heat and radiation . The heat is generated from the breaking down of the fuel source ( uranium ) . Uranium creates heat through a self - sustaining reaction as it is bombarded by free neutrons created during fission and then reabsorbed to continue the reaction . The heat generated from the reaction heats water in the steam generator . Due to the pressurization of the system , the water that cools the reactor does not boil , but creates a media to transfer the heat to the steam plants to create steam . As steam is produced , it is forced through a series of pipes and past different turbines , causing the turbine to spin and generate electrical power or propel the ship . The steam is then cooled and converted back to water , which is then sent back to the steam generator and the process is repeated . Environmental impact . Nuclear reactors create energy through fission , as opposed to burning fuel . Because of this , no greenhouse gases are produced in the energy creation process . Nuclear energy is completely self - contained and , along with producing no airborne by - products , it also creates only a minimal amount of waste . The waste created through nuclear power is contained in the reactor and able to be properly disposed of when the vessel is decommissioned or the reactor is replaced . By the very design of the nuclear reactor , it does not pollute the air or water as the ships move throughout the world . Unlike nuclear power plants that have to have spent fuel rod s removed from their reactors every 18 to 24 months , the nuclear reactors powering the submarines and aircraft carriers of the United States Navy remain fully operational until they are decommissioned . This creates significantly less nuclear waste to be disposed of and decreases the exposure of radioactive materials to the environment . When the reactors powering the ships of the Navy are decommissioned , all the nuclear waste is properly disposed of at once . Safety record . Since the first nuclear - powered submarine ( USS " Nautilus " ) , the United States Navy has logged over 6 , 200 “ reactor years ” with no radiological accidents . However , on May 22 , 1978 on USS Puffer ( SSN - 652 ) , a valve was mistakenly opened releasing up to 500 US gallons of radioactive water in the Puget Sound . Nuclear propulsion career types . In order to safely operate the fleet of nuclear - powered vessels , the U . S . Navy recruits and trains the men and women who serve in the Navy Nuclear Propulsion community . There are careers for Officers , requiring a minimum of a college degree , and there are Enlisted careers requiring a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent . Officers . Because of the rigorous training that Navy Nuclear Officers undergo , only a select group of individuals are given the opportunity to lead a crew and command this technologically advanced equipment . Careers as an Officer in Navy Nuclear Propulsion include : Submarine officers . They oversee the day - to - day operations on board a submarine . They ensure that all systems run smoothly , including the nuclear reactor and nuclear propulsion system , weapons systems , and atmosphere control and fire control systems . They are also responsible for driving the vessel and charting its position and operating communications and intelligence equipment . Surface warfare officers ( nuclear ) . Nuclear Surface Warfare Officers oversee the day - to - day operations of a nuclear - powered aircraft carrier and conventional war ships , managing everything from communications and navigation to armament capabilities and tactical deployment . Nuclear Surface Warfare Officers are in charge of numerous shipboard operations and activities , from the engineering plant to the bridge . They have the responsibility of ensuring that Sailors in their division maintain and operate the ship ’ s complex systems . Naval reactors engineers . Naval Reactors ( NR ) is a government office that has responsibility for all shipboard nuclear power plants , shore - based prototypes and nuclear propulsion support facilities for the Navy . Naval Reactors Engineers assume responsibility for key technical work in a variety of facilities , including : Naval Nuclear Power School instructors . Naval Nuclear Power School Instructors train the future Navy Nuclear community through a technologically advanced curriculum that is taught with a sole purpose in mind : to prepare Navy Enlisted Sailors and Officers attending Nuclear Power School in Goose Creek , SC , for their work in the nuclear power field . They provide detailed knowledge of how to work the key aspects of a pressurized - water Navy nuclear power plant , which include : Navy Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate ( NUPOC ) Program . For current undergraduate students who meet the prerequisite background , especially those pursuing majors such as mathematics , engineering , physics or chemistry , the NUPOC program provides money to eligible candidates to complete their undergraduate degree as well as a regular monthly income while in school . After obtaining their undergraduate degree , individuals earn a commission in the Navy and pursue one of the Officer career paths in Navy Nuclear Propulsion . Basic qualifications . The NUPOC program is open to both men and women . Depending on career focus , the eligibility requirements have minor variances . There are criteria that one must meet regardless of the focus . Candidates must : Education : Candidates must be graduates or students of an accredited college or university in the United States or a United States territory holding or pursuing a BA , BS or MS ( preferably majoring in mathematics , engineering , physics , chemistry or another technical area ) and must have : Enlisted . Members of the Navy Nuclear community operate , control and maintain the components that power Navy aircraft carriers and submarines . This could involve doing anything from operating nuclear propulsion plant machinery to controlling auxiliary equipment that supports Naval reactors to maintaining the electronic equipment used to send and receive messages , detect enemy planes and ships , and determine target distances . Machinist ’ s Mates ( MM ) operate and maintain steam turbines and reduction gears used for ship propulsion and auxiliary machinery such as turbogenerators , pumps and oil purifiers . They also maintain auxiliary machinery outside of main machinery spaces , such as electrohydraulic steering engines and elevators , refrigeration plants , air conditioning systems and desalinization plants . They may also operate and maintain compressed gas - producing plants . Nuclear - trained Enlisted Sailors perform duties in nuclear propulsion plants operating reactor controls and propulsion and power generation systems . Electrician ’ s Mates ( EM ) are responsible for the operation of a ship ’ s electrical power generation systems , lighting systems , electrical equipment and electrical appliances . The duties include installation , operation , adjustment , routine maintenance , inspection , test and repair of electrical equipment . EMs also perform maintenance and repair of related electronic equipment . Electronics Technicians ( ET ) in the nuclear field are normally assigned to Reactor Control division . They are responsible for maintenance , repair and operation of equipment that is closely related to the nuclear reactor and reactor safety . Qualifications . To be eligible for any Nuclear Operations career , a candidate must first be selected for nuclear training by scoring above the minimum requirements on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery ( ASVAB ) and must :