The Future of America's Nuclear-Powered Navy Is More Precipitous Than You Think

Dan Goure

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Key Point: BWXT is important for U.S. national security.

There is a tendency for experts and laypeople to think of military platforms and their performance largely in terms of hull forms, airframes and vehicle shells. However, it is often the case that one or more critical systems or even components can be the key to a warship, fighter or combat vehicle’s success in battle.

Take the amazing P-51 Mustang, the fighter plane that drove the Luftwaffe from the skies over Germany. It has a remarkable design and is a pilot’s dream to fly. But what enabled it to dominate the air domain over Europe was a particular engine.

When the original Allison power plant was replaced by the supercharged Rolls Royce Merlin engine, the Mustang’s full potential was realized. With the new engine, the P-51 operated better at higher altitudes, accelerated more rapidly and burned less fuel, the last point being particularly important for the long bomber escort missions over the continent.

The same is true today. For example, the F-22 is the best air superiority fighter in the world. There are many reasons for this success: its stealth characteristics and coatings, radar, avionics and sensors. But above all, it is the F-22’s engine that gives it an edge.

The Pratt &Whitney F119 engine delivers more thrust with fewer moving parts than any previous fighter engine. Its unique design allows a jet fighter to operate at sustained super cruise speeds for the first time, and the F119's nozzles incorporate thrust vectoring technology that provide unequalled maneuverability. These features translate into combat superiority. A variant of the Pratt &Whitney F119, the F135, is the power plant for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.