This is really interesting. I'm very skeptical as to this method being used to track U.S Submarines. The then, Soviet Union tested this system on their own submarines, and for good reason. It was known that the Soviet Union dispensed with radioactive shielding where the hull wasn't in close proximity to it's human occupants. The Soviets just didn't care if they polluted the oceans and seas with radioactivity. They cared about their submariners little more.
By contrast, U.S Admiral Hyman Rickover practiced what could best be described as Nuclear Incrementalism. Radioactive shielding throughout the submarine was of the utmost importance as well as a degree of redundancy in the control rod systems to make the chain reactions more controllable and management of the chain reaction breeder reactor, virtually fool proof. As The U.S Submariners became more knowledgeable, Sub Nuclear systems became increasingly sophisticated. As a result, with a closed loop system, It's probable the U.S left little if any material behind to track.
It's also well know the Soviet Union suffered many catastrophic reactor accidents, most notably, in the submarine forces as they struggled to keep up with the West, especially, the U.S.
|