USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23)

History of USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23)

In the 1980s, the United States Navy (USN) committed to developing a new type of nuclear attack submarine, which would become the Seawolf-class, to replace the previous Los Angeles-class submarines. The Seawolf class was developed as a counterpart to Soviet ships with similar capabilities and roles.

As originally planned, the Seawolf class was originally intended to have a total of 29 ships, but the end of the Cold War in 1991 (and the subsequent collapse of the Soviet Union) and the unit cost of these advanced submarines limited the group to just three - the Seawolf (SSN -21) , USS Connecticut (SSN-22) and USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23).

SSN-23, named after former US President Jimmy Carter, is the only submarine named after a living president. The vessel was ordered on June 29, 1996 and laid on December 5, 1998, and was built by General Dynamics Electric Vessels. She was launched on 13 May 2004 and commissioned on 19 February 2005.

At the time of this writing (2017), the USS Jimmy Carter is fighting with the motto Semper Optima ("Always the best").

The USS Jimmy Carter was converted to be approximately 100 feet longer than her two sisters, this extra space allowed the ship to engage in special forces missions, support Navy SEALs and related deepwater craft during covert missions ( There is also a built-in drone support capability, and her base crew is larger). This change distinguishes the USS Jimmy Carter from her sister ships, making her a single-ship subgroup.

The ship displaces 12,140 tons when fully loaded, has an overall length of 453 feet, a beam of 40 feet, and a depth of 36 feet. Power is provided by a single S6W series reactor, which provides up to 45,000 hp of single-shaft reverse propulsion.

Under ideal conditions, underwater speeds exceed 25 knots, and thanks to her nuclear power plant, the ship's range at sea is essentially unlimited.

Armament includes 8 x 26 inch torpedo tubes (all forward facing) which support Mk 48 series torpedo missiles as well as Tomahawk cruise missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles and mine delivery.

Trials of the vessel took place in 2004, and after being commissioned, she was transferred from New London to Bangor in November 2005. In January 2008, the ship received the Battle Efficiency Award ("Battle E"). In November 2010, she was sent to monitor North Korean positions after North Korean forces bombed Yeonpyeong, South Korea.

In 2012 it won another Battle E award.

With its unlimited range, flexible armament and one of the world's quietest submarine designs, the USS Jimmy Carter is a powerful addition to the U.S. Navy's underwater force.

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