USS Nautilus, World's First Nuclear Submarine, New York Harbor 1950s
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The USS Nautilus (SSN 571) is pictured entering New York Harbor in the late 1950s. The Brooklyn Bridge is on the right and Wall Street's buildings are immediately ahead. This is the New York City skyline before the World Trade Center or many of the newer Wall Street area buildings were built.
USS Nautilus represented a watershed for the U.S. Navy’s submarine program. She was the world’s first nuclear-powered submarine, a design improvement which allowed for a dramatic increase in range and operational flexibility.
Construction of USS Nautilus started in 1952 and on 17 January 1955, she cast off with the historic message from her Commanding Officer: "Underway On Nuclear Power." Over the next several years, USS Nautilus shattered all submerged speed and distance records. The success of the USS Nautilus led to the U.S. Navy program that fitted submarines with nuclear armed missiles. The U.S. Navy's Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) program started in 1956 and has been continuously deployed at sea as a survivable retaliatory force, a key element of the Strategic Triad concept.
