In Submarine Matters’ “South Korean and Japanese Nuclear Submarine Propulsion” October 21, 2019 Pete assessed that South Korea saw its land based SMART nuclear reactor as a technological
dead-end for submarine use.
South Korean politicians, officials and scientists appear prepared to cross longstanding alliance lines in seeking reactors from Russia.
" Moon
had indicated an interest in nuclear-powered submarines even before his
election in May, and the topic was reportedly discussed during his meeting with
Trump. However, details of those discussions were not revealed, and the Trump
administration has not indicated that it is open to that idea.
Building submarine reactors is the most expensive and technologically challenging part of building nuclear submarines. Hence better to buy than reinvent.
South Korean politicians, officials and scientists appear prepared to cross longstanding alliance lines in seeking reactors from Russia.
US
Professor Frank von Hippel provides details in his excellent academic paper titled “Mitigating the Threat of Nuclear-Weapon Proliferation via Nuclear-Submarine Programs” Pages 133-150, Published June 27, 2019 at Taylor Francis Online https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/25751654.2019.1625504. Here is a paragraph with references:
Professor Frank von Hippel provides details in his excellent academic paper titled “Mitigating the Threat of Nuclear-Weapon Proliferation via Nuclear-Submarine Programs” Pages 133-150, Published June 27, 2019 at Taylor Francis Online https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/25751654.2019.1625504. Here is a paragraph with references:
[von Hippel]
“South Korea’s president, Moon Jae-in, has declared an interest in building or
buying nuclear attack submarines. During US President
Donald Trump’s November 2017 visit to Seoul, the two leaders reportedly
discussed the possibility of South Korea purchasing a US nuclear attack
submarine.”
Further
details see “Nuclear-Powered Subs, JSTARS Make South Korea’s Wish List” Defense
News, November 8, 2017 at https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2017/11/08/nuclear-powered-subs-jstars-make-south-koreas-wish-list/
South Korea’s interest in
nuclear-powered submarines has been stoked by North Korea’s development of
ballistic missile submarines capable of firing the KN-11, also known as the Pukguksong-1,
submarine-launched ballistic missile, which has undergone testing during the
North’s recent spate of missile tests.
... Should South Korea acquire nuclear-powered attack
submarines, either through an unlikely direct purchase from the U.S. or more likely
through the development and production of an indigenous design with U.S.
technical assistance, it would represent a significant shift in the country’s
defense posture and stoke concerns with nuclear proliferation on the Korean
Peninsula.
But significant obstacles to these ambitions remain. South
Korea is a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,
and the Asian nation is also prohibited from enriching uranium and reprocessing
spent fuel for military purposes under a deal signed with the U.S. in 2015. The
U.S. has also not sold nuclear-powered submarines and has not transferred such technology even to allies [Pete - Except to the UK for decades – see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1958_US%E2%80%93UK_Mutual_Defence_Agreement] and it is likely to loath doing so out of nonproliferation
concerns.
[Pete
Comment - US submarine reactors use “Bomb Grade” 93% to 97% U-235, another
reason for the sensitivity of their design and export. See page 20 of https://www.hsfk.de/fileadmin/HSFK/hsfk_downloads/prif124.pdf]
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
RUSSIA
RUSSIA
[von Hippel continues] Russia’s premier designer of naval propulsion
reactors, OKBM Afrikantov, has made public the fact that, in 2017, it had
discussions with the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute on the possibility
of providing the design of a new Russian icebreaker reactor as a “reference
design” for a South Korean “maritime propulsion” reactor.”
[endnote 9 "An email communication to the author [Frank von Hippel] from a South Korean government official on 9 August 2018 stated that the Moon administration was no longer actively pursuing the idea of a nuclear-powered attack submarine."]
[endnote 9 "An email communication to the author [Frank von Hippel] from a South Korean government official on 9 August 2018 stated that the Moon administration was no longer actively pursuing the idea of a nuclear-powered attack submarine."]
Further
details see “Russia May Help South Korea to Build Nuclear Reactor for Maritime
Vessels.” Sputnik International, August
7, 2018 at https://sputniknews.com/asia/201808071067008274-russia-south-korea-nuclear-reactor/
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia may help South Korea to
build a ready-to-operate nuclear power plant for maritime propulsion using the
RITM-200 reactor as a basis for its design, JSC Afrikantov OKBM, a subsidiary
of Rosatom nuclear corporation, said in a 2017 annual report made public on
Tuesday.
"In November 2017, during a meeting
in Nizhny Novgorod [Russia], representatives from the Korean Atomic
Energy Research Institute [KAERI] said that the Korea is considering the possibility
of developing a concept for a new reactor with a capacity
of about 150-200 MW for sea-faring vessels and is viewing the
RITM-200 reactor as a possible reference design," the report says.
According to the report,
Moscow expressed readiness to cooperate with Seoul in the
production of a turnkey reactor plant after receiving an official
request for cooperation from South Korea and obtaining appropriate
approval from the Rosatom State Nuclear Corporation.
JSC Afrikantov OKBM is the main
developer of nuclear reactor cores for Russian naval vessels."
[von Hippel continues] “The Russian
icebreaker reactor, the RITM-200, was designed to use LEU fuel,”
Further
details see IAEA. 2016a 180 “Advances in Small Modular
Reactor Technology Developments, A Supplement To: IAEA Advanced Reactors
Information System (ARIS).” at https://aris.iaea.org/Publications/SMR-Book_2016.pdf.
[von Hippel continues] “but apparently
will use HEU fuel.”
Further
details see “New Russian Icebreakers Will Use HEU Fuel.” International Panel
on Fissile Materials, November 29, 2017 http://fissilematerials.org/blog/2017/11/new_russian_icebreakers_w.html.
Despite
the earlier plans to use LEU fuel in reactors that will power its new
icebreakers, Russia has apparently decided to develop HEU fuel for these
reactors. The "integrated propulsion unit" with a nuclear reactor,
known as RITM-200 [new link added by Pete] was developed by
the Afrikantov OKBM design bureau in Nizhniy Novgorod. The unit will be
installed on icebreakers of the Project 22220 series (referred to as UAL,
Universal Atomic Icebreaker, in Rosatom documents). The lead ship of this
class, Arktika, is expected to enter service in 2018, followed by two more
ships, Sibir and Ural...”
Frank von Hippel [another reference] is a Senior Research Physicist and Professor of
Public and International Affairs emeritus at Princeton University’s Program on
Science and Global Security. He was a founding co-chair of the Program and of
the International Panel on Fissile Materials. During 1993–94, he served as
Assistant Director for National Security in the White House Office of Science
and Technology Policy.
