Meh. Prototype destroyed. Not news.
Prototype proves or disproves a concept.
Sometimes used to prove or disprove a tactic change due to the new equipment.
At which time, the prototype's future is ... ????
Before the 688 attack submarine doctrine was adopted, the Navy was trying to determine the future of attack submarine engineering plants.
Prototypes can only go so far on land, once the "concept is proved"
So they built the Lipscomb https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Glenard_P._Lipscomb_(SSN-685) to try an electric drive.
Electric drive was not new. WWII boats used battery power to drive the shaft. Basically the shaft became the rotor of a large electric motor.
But Nukes had electric turbines to provide electricity, and main engine turbines that would then turn reduction gears, which would turn the shaft.
The reduction gears are weight, a lot, and a source of noise.
Also, everything is "redundant" with backups. Except the reduction gears. The gears make up a single point failure point, that will take the sub out of commission.
So, after the Navy liked the Lipscomb, but like the Los Angeles class better.
Well, after they start building 688s, they're not just gonna throw away the Lipscomb. It was a huge investment, and it does work.
So, they continued to use it.
____________________________________________________________________
Same could be said of the Seawolf. Not the Seawolf class they have now. But the second Nuclear Attack Submarine (SSN)
en.wikipedia.org
Although fully armed, Seawolf, like the first nuclear submarine, Nautilus, was primarily an experimental vessel. Seawolf was originally thought of publicly as a hunter-killer submarine, but in fact was intended to be a one-off test platform for the SIR (aka S2G) LMFR reactor and future sonar platforms. Its future uses, after the reactor plant was replaced with a light water system, included covert operations in foreign waters, for which it was converted January 1971 – June 1973
Nuke subs were a Novel Concept. Previous subs were basically Surface Ships, that could BRIEFLY submerge.
With the advent of the SSN though, MANY concepts were being rethought. Equipment, Procedures, Tactics, Manning... EVERYTHING was being changed.
So the Seawolf used a liquid metal coolant, and had several other major changes in the engineering plant.
Also, new Sonar systems.
It was a "proof of concept" that was not thrown away after the proof/disproof.
In fact, the Albacore hull that came later, completely revamped the submarine hull.
The Nautilus and Seawolf were basically WWII hulls, modified with concepts learned from captured German WWII hulls.
Prototype proves or disproves a concept.
Sometimes used to prove or disprove a tactic change due to the new equipment.
At which time, the prototype's future is ... ????
Before the 688 attack submarine doctrine was adopted, the Navy was trying to determine the future of attack submarine engineering plants.
Prototypes can only go so far on land, once the "concept is proved"
So they built the Lipscomb https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Glenard_P._Lipscomb_(SSN-685) to try an electric drive.
Electric drive was not new. WWII boats used battery power to drive the shaft. Basically the shaft became the rotor of a large electric motor.
But Nukes had electric turbines to provide electricity, and main engine turbines that would then turn reduction gears, which would turn the shaft.
The reduction gears are weight, a lot, and a source of noise.
Also, everything is "redundant" with backups. Except the reduction gears. The gears make up a single point failure point, that will take the sub out of commission.
So, after the Navy liked the Lipscomb, but like the Los Angeles class better.
Well, after they start building 688s, they're not just gonna throw away the Lipscomb. It was a huge investment, and it does work.
So, they continued to use it.
____________________________________________________________________
Same could be said of the Seawolf. Not the Seawolf class they have now. But the second Nuclear Attack Submarine (SSN)
USS Seawolf (SSN-575) - Wikipedia
Nuke subs were a Novel Concept. Previous subs were basically Surface Ships, that could BRIEFLY submerge.
With the advent of the SSN though, MANY concepts were being rethought. Equipment, Procedures, Tactics, Manning... EVERYTHING was being changed.
So the Seawolf used a liquid metal coolant, and had several other major changes in the engineering plant.
Also, new Sonar systems.
It was a "proof of concept" that was not thrown away after the proof/disproof.
In fact, the Albacore hull that came later, completely revamped the submarine hull.
The Nautilus and Seawolf were basically WWII hulls, modified with concepts learned from captured German WWII hulls.
