The USS Jimmy Carter embodies ingenuity from the Cold War and state-of-the-art espionage. This nuclear submarine, initially designed in stiff competition between the United States and the Soviet Union, suddenly emerged as one of the most secretive and advanced vessels running under the U.S. Navy’s arsenal.
The Submarine Race of the Cold War
The underwater battlefield became the continuous race of the two superpowers through the Cold War era. The United States and the Soviet Union focused huge resources on the development of nuclear power submarines capable of staying underwater without surfacing for periods indefinitely, each armed with nuclear missiles. Where the Soviet Navy’s November-class attack submarines could dive deeper and move much faster than their comparable U.S. counterparts, they were very noisy. Trying to amend this weakness, the Soviets produced an Akula-class submarine fitted with a quieter seven-bladed propeller.
The Akula-class submarines came to the attention of the U.S. Navy, and they were an incredible force against the American Los Angeles-class submarines. In reaction, the U.S. invested huge amounts of resources into developing the Seawolf-class submarines, which would be larger, faster, and quieter than any previous submarine class. The final vessel produced during this period was the USS Jimmy Carter, the third and final Seawolf-class submarine.
The Seawolf-Class Submarine
The class of Seawolf submarines consists of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines for $5 billion a piece. They were designed to oppose the Soviet Akula class and to replace the Los Angeles class. The performance of the Seawolf class is stellar, in that it can carry as many as 50 UGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles and dive down to 490 meters thanks to its construction of HY-100 steel.
Moreover, the Seawolf-class submarines are fitted with the most advanced sonar systems and feature an ARCI-modified AN/BSY-2 combat system, spherical sonar array, towed-array sonar, and wide aperture array. S6W pressurized water reactor ensures Seawolf does achieve speeds of up to 35 knots while remaining acoustically silent due to its propeller-less pump-jet propulsion system.
The USS Jimmy Carter: The Ultimate Spy Submarine?
The USS Jimmy Carter was commissioned in 2005 and is the first and only submarine to be named after a serving U.S. President who served on a submarine. Particularly, this has been heavily modified for special intelligence-gathering missions, setting it apart from other class members. According to Business Insider, “Carter stands out among the three subs of the class” due to its extensive modification.
The changes include special thrusters that allow the submarine to remain in place underwater and a 100-foot elongation of the hull called a Multi-Mission Platform, or MMP. The extension lengthens the submarine to 435 feet and its displacement fully submerged to 12,158 tons. The MMP also allows the Carter to carry remotely operated vehicles, cable spools, special operations craft, and other state-of-the-art technologies for its secret missions. It can launch Navy SEALs as well.
The exact missions of the USS Jimmy Carter remain classified. However, it’s openly rumored that this submarine can tap undersea fiber-optic communications lines for intelligence gathering. USS Jimmy Carter received a Presidential Unit Citation for the mysterious “Mission 7,” though it remains undisclosed.
A Legacy of Espionage
The USS Jimmy Carter is added to a long list of refitted U.S. submarines specially designed for secretive observation and spy missions. Its capability to maintain position at extreme depths, launch specially designed ROVs, and execute a range of special assignments makes it of great value to the U.S. Navy. As tensions around the world surge with new emerging threats, the USS Jimmy Carter will spearhead underwater espionage in all secretive and high-stakes operations.
In this constant evolution of technology and warfare, it would shine like a beacon for American ingenuity and an ultimate tool in the nation’s defense arsenal.