Submarinos Nucleares de Ataque (SNA) - Background
The Brazilian nuclear submarine SN-BR is a dual project. On the one hand, the mastery of the reactor's construction technology will allow Brazil to have a more agile weapons platform in the future in the protection of territorial waters. On the other hand, it will enable the country to build small nuclear power plants. Labgene will be the first plant with a high-powered nuclear reactor fully built in Brazil. Conceptually, it is a prototype with the capacity to generate 48MW thermal or 11 electric megawatts (MWe), which represents less than 10% of Angra 1's capacity, enough to power a submarine and power electrical, air renewal systems, etc. Labgene, in addition to a nuclear power generation unit, will be used to validate the design conditions and test all possible operating situations for a nuclear propulsion plant. For this reason, despite being built on land, it seeks to reproduce in size the reactor that will equip the future nuclear powered submarine.
Some considerations fit on the program of Brazilian naval nuclear propulsion, who for financial reasons does not present a more consistent result, despite the advances verified in the development of the fuel cycle and the project of the reactor. Few times if Brazil saw a program considered for that already they had had the chance to know it as important and basic for the National Defense -- so little to be portioned with resources. It is conflicting, and of difficult agreement, to see it restricted to the budgetary resources destined to the Command of the Navy, considering the necessary values for its concretion, if compared with the counterparts of domain of the art of the war and of security for the National Defense.
If the qualification of construction of a submarine with nuclear propulsion only represents a victory of the national technology, what not to say of it drags it technological that such activity produces, if not restricting, exclusively, to the military sector. As example of this dualidade they could be cited: the generation of electric energy, the development of new materials, the production of radioisótopos for the medicine and the food irradiation for conservation. It stood out that, in contrast of that happened in the too much countries (to the exception of U.S.A. and Russia), all the obtained advance did not count on the minimum support of foreign nation.
The today existing infrastructure in the country is each more demanding time of the qualification reached for the Navy in the development of the Program of Naval Nuclear Propulsion. This specter is so great that it allows to promote it not as an exclusive necessity of the Naval Force, but yes as national yearning, in same level of other important programs for the social and economic development of Brazil and, more important, for the National Defense. To transform the dream into reality is an option, therefore Brazil will be able to long for one better position in the international scene.
Brazil does not have to lose the chance; many sacrifices had been demanded and carried through. It does not have as to disdain it. More early or later we will have of in collating them with new callings of the society and, as well as it occurred in the past (Wars of Consolidation of Independence, you strike in the Imperial Period, participation in the two Great Wars), will not be possible in stealing them to occupy position in the front line. We cannot in apequenar them.
The Country has obligation to preserve its wealth in the marine way. Much is said on the Amazônia. A physical space in the ocean is forgotten that increases our sovereignty in (three) millions of kilometers more than squared. There are explored wealth - such as the petroliferous platforms (today with contribution of more than 80% of the oil explored in the country) and the fishing basins; e the unexplored ones, that nothing they are to have it to those existing ones in the Green Ocean. If to add that more than 70% of the national population and the economic and cultural power of the Country are to less than 300 km of beaches, this treasure gains great economic and social expression. How to defend it? Here it is the question...
The decision to construct or a submarine with nuclear propulsion does not have to be of the Nation; the capacity to know to construct it is an obligation, that we have that to assume with this same Nation, to keep exempts it, defended coesa and for the future generations. The development of new technology of naval propulsion - independence of air, batteries with bigger capacity and durability -, does not have to be justification for not the continuation or deceleration of the Program of Naval Nuclear Propulsion. Brqazil have that to transmit credibility and perseverance in the development of tip technology, lest Brazil will be seen as perpetual nomads deceived with mirages of oases, that never become reality.
The country alone will have future if to preserve the conquests of the past and to keep them in the gift. The effort developed for insignes so Brazilian, also in international forums, cannot be olvidado. To materialize the dream to have capacity to construct a submarine with nuclear propulsion will be the solution for the defense of the vast maritime territory. For in such a way it is necessary that, fellow creature to the actions adopted for the governments of the Group of the Four, the Program of Naval Nuclear Propulsion is adopted as a national yearning and is not restricted to the sparing budgetary resources destined to the Command of the Navy, in similar conditions to the adopted ones for the governments of the Group of the Four, when of the development of its programs of nuclear propulsion.
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