Abstract
The Royal Navy now has twelve submarine pressurized water reactor systems operational, or under construction, as part of its developing nuclear propulsion programme. The academic nuclear training of naval officers and civilians in support of this programme is given in the Department of Nuclear Science and Technology at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich.
Approximately 180 students per year attend the five main types of nuclear courses offered at R.N.C., which range from short introductory courses of two weeks' duration, to M.Sc. courses lasting one year. Between them, these courses provide the specialist nuclear knowledge needed by engineers and others engaged in the various supporting fields of research and development, design and construction, testing and operation, and maintenance and safety. The standards of comprehension and competence to be achieved in the longer courses are high, and the students' subsequent qualifying tests and examinations are rigorous. The academic training at R.N.C. is a complementary part of a wider training system, embracing further practical training and qualification at the Admiralty Reactor Test Establishment, Dounreay, and in the submarines, and is closely co-ordinated with the ratings' nuclear training. Feedback from the operational plants to R.N.C. is rapid, and syllabuses are continually up-dated.
The various nuclear courses at R.N.C., their aims, the topics covered, and the laboratory facilities available are described. The entry and the qualifying standards of the students are outlined.
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