Home » Sectors » Defense and Space » Sea » Naval Nuclear Propulsion
We bring broad-based experience in the nuclear industry, including the design and fabrication of nuclear components and operations of nuclear fuel production plants.
Our legacy in naval nuclear propulsion dates back to the 1950s, when we designed and fabricated components for the USS Nautilus, the world’s first nuclear-powered submarine. Driven by the early objective to minimize fueling interruptions, as seen in today’s design of submarine reactors lasting a boat’s lifetime and carrier reactors requiring only a single mid-life fueling, the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program now empowers the U.S. Navy with the ability to maintain unparalleled stealth and lethality across vast oceanic distances. To date, the Navy’s submarines and aircraft carriers have safely steamed millions of miles using components manufactured by BWXT. Our long and successful track record is underscored by our commitment to safety, quality and integrity.
Today, our reactors power the Navy’s Ohio, Virginia, Seawolf and Los Angeles-class submarines, and we have delivered components for the new Columbia-class submarine currently under construction. Our reactors also power Nimitz and Ford-class aircraft carriers.
We’re not just a supplier; we’re a partner in complex engineering. From start to finish, we’ve got the expertise to handle the big challenges. With a highly-skilled team, rigorous quality control and advanced facilities – it all comes together to build components you can truly depend on.
Lynchburg, Virginia – manufactures naval nuclear reactors for submarines and aircraft carriers.
Barberton, Ohio – manufactures heavy components for nuclear reactor plants used in submarines and aircraft carriers.
Euclid, Ohio – manufactures electro-mechanical components for naval reactors used in submarines and aircraft carriers.
Mount Vernon, Indiana – manufactures heavy components for naval nuclear reactors and aircraft carriers; facilitates ocean-going barge transportation, boasting the largest dock crane on the Ohio River with a 1,000-ton lift capacity.
Erwin, Tennessee – converts Cold War-era stockpiles of highly-enriched uranium into material suitable for processing into commercial nuclear reactor fuel; also operates a uranium fuel materials production facility to support America’s fleet of nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers.
© 2025 BWX Technologies. Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy | Contact Us | Terms of Use
The products and services described herein are provided by subsidiaries of BWX Technologies, Inc.