The USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23) is one of the most bizarre and high-tech subs ever built for the U.S. Navy. It is named for the 39th President—a former submariner at the dawn of the nuclear era—and is a salute as much as it is a practical symbol of how naval technology adapts to evolving dangers in the ocean’s depths.
Her class, Seawolf, was conceived near the close of the Cold War. They were to be the ultimate underwater hunters: speedy, silent, and armed with guns to rip a ship apart. But with the decline of the Cold War and the very high cost of the program, only three were completed. Among them, Jimmy Carter was the last—and most unusual.
Different from her two sisterships, she was built with a dramatic design change: a 100-foot addition to her hull. It was referred to as the Multi-Mission Platform (MMP) and transformed her into a multi-role submarine capable of conducting missions no ship in the fleet could handle.
The heart of the MMP contained a pressurized tunnel—christened as the “aquarium” or “wasp waist”—that crew and equipment could pass through as seawater flowed by. This technological marvel actually offered an underwater hangar, unmanned vehicle launch and recovery space, special operations boats, and other mission equipment.
To accomplish this, entire control sections and ballast systems were redesigned, and the most expensive attack submarine ever constructed, costing over $3.5 billion.
What really sets her apart, however, is her versatility. She can deploy Navy SEALs, launch remote underwater vehicles, and run extremely classified intelligence operations. Most importantly, she can tap into the underwater communications cables that are the hidden arteries of global information flow.
Whether penetrating, repairing, or recovering data from the bottom of the ocean, Jimmy Carter provides a level of access no other sub can match. With accommodations for up to 50 special forces soldiers and their equipment, she offers unmatched support for covert operations while possessing the speed and stealth of her Seawolf ancestry.
Most of what she has done is under a cloak of secrecy, though occasional glimpses surface. She has been decorated with the Presidential Unit Citation for exceptional heroism by her crew, and the submarine itself, from time to time, has flown the Jolly Roger upon arrival in port—a tradition needing no explanation as regards successful missions achieved. Home-based in the Pacific, she patrols oceans where undersea cables, pipelines, and seabed facilities have become increasingly valuable—and increasingly desirable.
The advent of seabed warfare has introduced a new field of competition. Cables, pipelines, and sensor networks are central to world security and trade, yet remain susceptible. Jimmy Carter gives the U.S. the ability to protect its own infrastructure—or, if necessary, disable an adversary’s. In this dark field of battle, where actions may be denied or concealed, such abilities can tip the balance of power.
Looking forward, the Navy is preparing its next replacement: an evolved Virginia-class submarine for seabed and special operations. Those future boats will carry Carter’s ideas forward, with even more advanced unmanned systems, mini-subs, and tailored payloads to maintain America’s leadership below the surface.
For now, though, USS Jimmy Carter stands alone. She is a marker of innovation, adaptability, and the Navy’s predisposition to think creatively. Above warship, she is an emblem of a quiet shift in the manner in which wars of the future are to be fought—beneath the ocean’s surface, in a world in which stealth, technology, and imagination prevail.