^{Launching of the U.S. Nautilus}

A powerful tool of the Cold War was nuclear powered submarines.  These vessels were considered a great technological advancement.  The first U.S. nuclear powered submarine was the USS Nautilus which was launched in 1954. It was soon followed by the USS Seawolf, and USS Skipjack.  Nuclear powered submarines performed many tasks, including moving nuclear missiles which were Atomic Bombs.  It was part of the new military concept of Strategic Air Command (Wills 2011, 42).

Attached is a short video produced by General Electric and the United States Navy explaining atomic energy and atomic powered submarines. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW12KRYRODE

The movement of nuclear missiles became a major concern to America during the Cuban Missiles Crisis in October 1962 when Soviet Union built nuclear missile sites were discovered in Cuba.     

An important topic for discussion that may fly under the radar is the environmental concerns related to decommissioning nuclear powered submarines.  The radioactivewaste disposal must be handled appropriately.