Nuclear-Powered Submarines and the Global Nuclear Order

Abstract

The nuclear propulsion of submarines has never been raised as a source of controversy since the countries operating nuclear-powered submarines are only the five Nuclear-Weapon States recognized in the NPT, plus India, which is not a signatory to the NPT. However, with the advancement of the Brazilian nuclear-powered submarine program and the announcement that Australia will operate and develop nuclear-powered submarines, this issue has become a hot spot on the non-proliferation agenda. In this context, two questions arise: What are the perceptions of the main actors involved with the issue of nuclear energy use for the propulsion of submarines of Non-nuclear Weapon States? What are the impacts of these perceptions on the global nuclear order? This article argues that a new normative inequality would be in the formation process, in which there would be the “have” and “have-not” users of nuclear energy for the propulsion of submarines.