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USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23)


Nuclear Attack Submarine [ 2005 ]



USS Jimmy Carter SSN-23 became the third and last boat of the Seawolf-class - originally intended to number 29 units.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 10/12/2020 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

GO TO SPECIFICATIONS [+]
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In the 1980s, the United States Navy (USN) committed to a new class of nuclear attack submarine to become the Seawolf-class and succeed the preceding Los Angeles-class boats. The Seawolf-class was developed as a counter to Soviet boats of similar capabilities and role. As originally intended, the Seawolf-class was to number twenty-nine total boats but the end of the Cold War in 1991 (and subsequent collapse of the Soviet Union) and per-unit cost of these advanced submarines limited the group to just three - USS Seawolf (SSN-21), USS Connecticut (SSN-22) and USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23).

Named after former US President Jimmy Carter, SSN-23 became the only submarine to carry the name of a former living president. The boat was ordered on June 29th, 1996 and saw her keel laid down on December 5th, 1998 with General Dynamics Electric Boat handling her construction. She was launched on May 13th, 2004 and commissioned for service on February 19th, 2005.

Fighting under the motto Semper Optima ("Always the Best"), USS jimmy Carter remains in active service as of this writing (2017).

USS Jimmy Carter was modified to become some 100 feet longer than her two sisters and this added space allows the boat to participate in special forces missions, supporting elements of the Navy SEALs and related deep water craft during clandestine missions (there is also a UAV support capability built-in and her base crew is larger). This change differentiates USS Jimmy Carter from her sisters and makes her something of a single-boat subgroup as a result.

The boat displaces 12,140 tons under full load and sports an overall length of 453 feet, a beam measuring 40 feet and a depth of 36 feet. Power is served from a single S6W series reactor which provides up to 45,000 horsepower to drive a single shaft astern. Underwater speed in ideal conditions is over 25 knots and, due to her nuclear powerplant, the boat has an essentially unlimited ocean-going range.

Armament is 8 x 26" torpedo tubes (all bow-facing) and these support the Mk 48 torpedo missile family as well as the Tomahawk cruise missile, the Harpoon anti-ship missile and dispensing of naval mines.

Trials of the boat occurred in 2004 and, following her commissioning, she was relocated to Bangor from New London in November 2005. In January 2008, the vessel was awarded the Battle Efficiency Award ("Battle E"). In November of 2010, she was used to observe North Korean positions following the North Korean Army's bombardment of Yeonpyeong, South Korea. Another Battle E award followed in 2012.

With her unlimited range, flexible armament fit and one of the quietest submarine designs in the world, USS Jimmy Carter is a powerful addition to the United States Navy's underwater fighting force.©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.
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Specifications



Service Year
2005

Origin
United States national flag graphic
United States

Status
COMMISSIONED
In Active Service.
Complement
141
PERSONNEL


Class
Seawolf-class
Number-in-Class
3
VESSELS
Ships-in-Class


USS Seawolf (SSN-21); USS Connecticut (SSN-22); USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23)


National flag of the United States United States
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
Submerged Attack
Traveling under the surface to search, track, and / or engage or reconnoiter areas.
Maritime Patrol
Active patroling of vital waterways and maritime areas; can also serve as local deterrence against airborne and seaborne threats.
Fleet Support
Serving in support (either firepower or material) of the main surface fleet in Blue Water environments.


Length
353.0 ft
107.59 m
Beam
40.0 ft
12.19 m
Draught
36.0 ft
10.97 m
Displacement
8,600
tons
Disp.Submerged
9,140
tons


Installed Power: 1 x S6W PWR nuclear reactor developing 45,000 horsepower to 1 x Shaft; 1 x Propulsion submerged motor; 1 x Pumpjet propulsor.
Surface Speed
18.0 kts
(20.7 mph)
Submerged Speed
35.0 kts
(40.3 mph)
Range
Essentially Unlimited


kts = knots | mph = miles-per-hour | nm = nautical miles | mi = miles | km = kilometers

1 kts = 1.15 mph | 1 nm = 1.15 mi | 1 nm = 1.85 km
8 x 26" torpedo tubes (supporting Mk 48 series torpedoes, tomahawk missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles and naval mines).


Supported Types


Graphical image of an aircraft aerial torpedo
Graphical image of an aircraft anti-ship missile
Graphical image of a naval mine


(Not all weapon types may be represented in the showcase above)
None.


Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War period
Military lapel ribbon for early warship designs
Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War
Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War
Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War
Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Attack on Pearl Harbor
Military lapel ribbon for the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2


Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective naval campaigns / operations / periods.

Images Gallery



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Image of the USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23)
Image from the United States Department of Defense DVIDS imagery network.
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Image of the USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23)
Image from the United States Department of Defense DVIDS imagery network.
3 / 5
Image of the USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23)
Image from the United States Department of Defense DVIDS imagery network.
4 / 5
Image of the USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23)
Image from the United States Department of Defense DVIDS imagery network.
5 / 5
Image of the USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23)
Image from the United States Department of Defense DVIDS imagery network.


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