The third and final Seawolf-class submarine, Jimmy Carter (SSN23), was moved outside for the first time on May 10, 2004, at the Electric Boat shipyard in Groton, Connecticut. With a length of 453 feet, a beam of 40 feet and a displacement of 12,139 tons (submerged), the Jimmy Carter honors the 39th President of the United States- the only submarine-qualified man who went on to become the nation’s chief executive. As the last and most advanced of the Seawolf class, the Jimmy Carter has built-in-flexibility that gives it the power to prevail in any scenario and against any threat- from beneath Artic ice to shallow water.
Differentiating the Jimmy Carter submarine from all other undersea vessels is its Multi-Mission Platform (MMP), which includes a 100-foot hull extension that enhances payload capability. This enables it to accommodate advanced technology required to develop and test an entirely new generation of weapons, sensors and undersea vehicles for naval special warfare, tactical surveillance and mine-warfare operations. Additionally, a dedicated and reconfigurable electronics suite using commercial off-the-shelf technology and open architecture makes it easy to accommodate future payload and sensors.
The Jimmy Carter was christened at a shipyard ceremony Saturday, June 5, 2004. The ship sponsor is Rosalynn Carter, wife of former President Carter, who also participated in the ceremony.
There was a press conference held in Plains, Georgia on Friday, June 4, 2004, at the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site's Main Vistors' Center (Plains High School Museum). Navy Admiral Skip Bowman, Director of Naval Reactors, and President Jimmy Carter answered questions about the USS Jimmy Carter. The special press conference was sponsored by the Jimmy Carter NHS Education Program which is a partnership between the Georgia Department of Education, Sumter County School System, and the National Park Service.
