As tensions between world powers deepen, European leaders and the public are increasingly interested in new, high-tech military systems - including nuclear-powered submarines, euronews writes.
A nuclear submarine is a sensitive technology currently used by only six countries: France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Russia, China and India, the Telegraph reports.
But they have recently attracted more attention. Last week, French military forces opened fire on unidentified drones that flew over a nuclear submarine facility in Brittany.
And in November, the US government said it would support South Korea in building nuclear submarines to counter North Korea — a significant shift in policy, given that Washington avoided the proliferation of naval nuclear propulsion technology for decades.
The US has long restricted the transfer of nuclear propulsion technology to the UK, to which it has provided assistance since 1958. It opened to Australia in 2021.
Last month, Russia also deployed a new class of nuclear submarines called the Khabarovsk.
What are nuclear submarines?
The term nuclear submarine can refer to either a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor or a submarine carrying nuclear warheads, regardless of how it is powered.
This double meaning is often used loosely and can lead to confusion.
Nuclear-powered submarines use heat from an onboard reactor to generate steam and spin their turbines, giving them incredible endurance.
They can stay underwater for months and only need to surface to supply food and water to their crews, which makes them much harder to detect.
"Having this large amount of energy for a long time is key to making them relevant for countries that have nuclear-powered submarines," Hans Liwång, professor in systems science for defence and security at the Swedish Defence University, told Euronews.
Conversely, a submarine armed with nuclear weapons does not have to be nuclear-powered.
It could be a conventional diesel-electric ship carrying nuclear missiles. A platform armed with nuclear weapons could also be nuclear-powered, as is the case with France's Le Triomphant-class submarines.
Liwång also said that "we have to assume that [Russia's Khabarovsk] could carry nuclear weapons."
Does Europe need more nuclear-powered submarines amid Russian aggression?
While nuclear-powered submarines may be powerful in covert and surveillance missions, they may not be suitable for the types of conflicts Europe is facing today, according to Liwång.
When considering the war in Ukraine, for example, the most critical battlefields for Europe and NATO allies are land and sea, which are typically "shallow and closer to the coast," Liwång said.
This means that developing a "nuclear-powered submarine is not the main naval activity," he added.
He said the shallow waters and limited geography of the Baltic region make it difficult for such vessels to operate undetected. Meanwhile, missions in the deep Mediterranean typically do not require the size, durability or complexity of a nuclear-powered submarine.
Diesel-electric submarines tend to be smaller and cheaper to maintain. Liwång believes Europe is fine without having to invest in deploying more of them.
"For most European countries, it is much more important to have some conventional submarines than to have the specific specifications that these submarines have," he said.
Nuclear-powered submarines also come with practical challenges. Their reactors take up a lot of space inside the ship, and their fuel supply can last up to a year, as they must be dismantled to replace the old fuel source with a new one.
However, he believes these submarines have a place in the broader picture of Europe's defense - especially when it comes to operations far out in the Atlantic - given Russia's hybrid warfare tactics that pose more threats to European territories like Greenland and Iceland.
“I see a need to ensure that European countries can take a role in protecting the Atlantic,” said Liwång.
"Nuclear-powered submarines could be among them, but there is also a need for other things" such as conventional submarines and surface ships, he added.
While Liwång does not see nuclear submarines as an urgent priority for Europe, he said recent developments around the world could have side effects for Europe's security environment.
"The nuclear-powered submarine is more of a case of projecting power over the globe," he said.
"So countries like Russia have that kind of vision and of course that affects their attitude towards the US. And of course, Russia's attitude towards the US affects the way the US operates in Europe," he added. /Telegraph/
