Design Information
The United States Navy issued a statement on the subject in 2017, stating that “Because to the specific demands of strategic relevance, SSBN(X)s must be configured with the most up-to-date capabilities and stealth to ensure they are survivable during their entire 40-year life span.” However, several design features have been debated since 2012. They included X-shaped stern control surfaces (hydroplanes), sail-mounted dive planes, and electric drive, among other things.
What Is Electric Drive?
If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably never heard of an electric drive. It is a propulsion system in which an electric motor turns a vessel’s propeller. It’s actually part of a wider plan to build an all-electric ship. This element is reported to have a reduced life-cycle cost and a smaller acoustic signature in submarines. The turbo-electric motor was utilized on US capital ships in the early part of the twentieth century.