I just wish they hadn't named it after Jimmy Carter.

as the Jimmy Carter, is a special ops sub, it will never, ever , be in the news, thus keeping the Carter name from some ships that people might actually hear about or see.

And I'll agree on the naming convention. Carriers should have names that are somewhat inspiring. Enterprise, Yorktown, Saratoga, Hornet, Wasp, Lexington, Intrepid, etc......  Those were cool names. Who the hell would be willing to get excited about a ship called the "Stennis". Hell I still don't know who Stennis was, and have no idea why they name a ship after him.

Its all navy ass kissing. They want to reward the clowns who write the checks. Its like a bowling team that gets its shirts from "Vegas Adult Superstore". I suppose its the only form of corporate sponsorship they are allowed.

And I'll agree on the naming convention. Carriers should have names that are somewhat inspiring. Enterprise, Yorktown, Saratoga, Hornet, Wasp, Lexington, Intrepid, etc......  Those were cool names. Who the hell would be willing to get excited about a ship called the "Stennis". Hell I still don't know who Stennis was, and have no idea why they name a ship after him.

Stennis was a senator from Mississippi IIRC.  Big time Navy supporter in the 70's and 80's.

Imagine if the Air Force and Army did the same thing with their major procurement items in terms of naming?

Could be a fun excercise placing names with these programs.

Just being a president shouldn't be a qualification. You should have to be a good president. Carter wasn't. While a nice guy, he was the worst president since the 1930's. He was awful. There should be no obligation to name a major warship after a failed politician and peanut farmer.

[Warning: horriffic statements follow] Whatever his faults(legion IMHO) he did authorize the use of submarines in intelligence roles that they had not done previously. He authorized both the big wiretaps that led to what could be argued as the biggest intel coups of the cold war. This naming acknowleges and honors a bold and good decision. Well placed IMO.   [/Warning: horriffic statements follow]

Mike...Come back...CLEAR!!...(Electric Shock)... We're getting a pulse...

USS Seawolf (SSN-21)

USS Connecticut (SSN-22)

USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23)

Boy, talk about a motley collection of names for one ship class.

[Warning: horriffic statements follow] Whatever his faults(legion IMHO) he did authorize the use of submarines in intelligence roles that they had not done previously. He authorized both the big wiretaps that led to what could be argued as the biggest intel coups of the cold war. This naming acknowleges and honors a bold and good decision. Well placed IMO.   [/Warning: horriffic statements follow]

I'd heard a story that Senator John Warner had introduced a bill requiring the next two CVNs be named USS Lexington and Saratoga. Any chance this is actually true?

[Warning: horriffic statements follow] Whatever his faults(legion IMHO) he did authorize the use of submarines in intelligence roles that they had not done previously. He authorized both the big wiretaps that led to what could be argued as the biggest intel coups of the cold war. This naming acknowleges and honors a bold and good decision. Well placed IMO.   [/Warning: horriffic statements follow]

USS Seawolf (SSN-21)

USS Connecticut (SSN-22)

USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23)

Boy, talk about a motley collection of names for one ship class.

I think "The Simpsons" had it best when the town of Springfield couldn't afford a good statue so they ended up with one of Jimmy Carter. At the mystery unveiling someone in the crowd screamed "Oh My God!!! Its history's greatest monster!!!" as the statue was revealed.

Actually, the USS Jimmy Carter should not even be considered a part of the Sea Wolf Class.  It's modifications as a special mission submarine really makes it different than the Seawolf and Connecticut.  The extra length & tonnage actually reduces it's performance in comparison to SSN-21 and 22...

[snip]

...I don't know why the media is calling it the most powerful submarine ever since it isn't.  The SSN-21 and 22 have the same weapons load and can go faster.  But then again it's the most expensive SSN ever built because of the modifications.

A Wasp Waist for More Ocean Access
The planned alterations include lengthening the hull behind the sail and inserting an Ocean Interface (OI) section that will support the Multi-Mission Project by opening larger payload apertures to the sea. The resulting modular architecture will allow the ship to be configured for specific missions using interchangeable payloads and tailored support services, yet it will preserve the submarine's core mission capabilities for normal tasking. The OI hull insert is unique, with a horizontal "hourglass" configuration that necks the pressure hull down to a "wasp waist," so that when the section is faired over, significant external volume will be available outside the pressure hull, but still within the skin of the ship. This will allow more flexibility in designing and adding systems and storage, while maintaining a smooth hydrodynamic hull shape with minimal impact on the ship's draft. The OI facilitates more flexible payload interfaces with the water and imposes far fewer constraints on the shape or size of weapons, auxiliary vehicles, and sensors to be deployed from the submarine. The OI supports the launch and recovery of tethered and autonomous vehicles without incurring many of the difficulties of current designs using torpedo tubes. The external volume under the shroud could also contain the necessary support systems for such vehicles. This approach would allow the host submarine to control the vehicle from within the ship without consuming valuable internal space for large cable reels or other support equipment. The OI will also allow the ship to deploy and retrieve a new generation of weapons, countermeasures, and sensors, which can now be developed without the size limitations imposed by torpedo or vertical launch tubes. In addition, Jimmy Carter will be configured with an advanced communications mast to support the high-volume data requirements of network-centric warfare, as well as DSB-recommended auxiliary maneuvering devices for low speed operations in littoral regions.

Full Seawolf Warfighting Capabilities - plus Special Operations
Despite her modification to conduct classified RDT&E, Jimmy Carter will retain all her organic warfighting capability, as shown in the accompanying table. She will support the fleet commander as an attack submarine in conducting undersea warfare, surveillance and reconnaissance, covert special operations, mine warfare, and strike operations, just as her two sister ships do. She will also be available to the Navy to test future concepts for weapons, countermeasures, and non-traditional payloads - tasking that is currently divided among several submarines. In addition to these robust capabilities, Jimmy Carter will also be capable of supporting Special Operations Forces (SOF), with provision for operating the Dry Deck Shelter (DDS) and Advanced SEAL Delivery System (ASDS). Moreover, one of the ship's most important functions will be to support research and development for future Naval Special Warfare (NSW) undersea mobility requirements, tactics, techniques, and procedures. Jimmy Carter had already been programmed to support NSW, but the additional volume and length of the OI provides even greater potential to develop new roles for submarines in special operations. The OI will provide a hangar or garage capability for locking-in and locking-out future generations of SEAL delivery vehicles, and her reconfigurable cargo area can accommodate dry stowage and access for maintenance. Other internal volume will be available as command and control space for mission planning and monitoring, plus dedicated berthing space for up to fifty SOF Team members. The extra external volume created by the hourglass design allows for stowage of SOF supplies like Combat Raiding Craft, fuel, munitions or delivery vehicles.

Well, first thing I thought about was the Laundry Ship USS Walter Mondale. 

I think "The Simpsons" had it best when the town of Springfield couldn't afford a good statue so they ended up with one of Jimmy Carter. At the mystery unveiling someone in the crowd screamed "Oh My God!!! Its history's greatest monster!!!" as the statue was revealed.

No, he wasnt a monster, but as a president he sucked. Sucked hind tit to be precisise. That he executed some no-brainer intel scams and schemes is still no justification to name a boat after him.

I think the only thing that works in his favor is that he is the first US Submariner who was president. If I was a submariner I would be trying to suppress that fact, not make a big deal about it.

Considering the Virginia Class was supposed to be the low-cost alternative to the Sea Wolf Class, both SSN-21 and 22 cost less to build than the several first Virginia's.

Is there a Normandy?

As another of Tanknet's resident rightwing nutjobs, I'll agree with Mike. I'm definitely no fan of Jimmy Carter and his presidency and do think that the ship naming system is out of control in spite of my admiration for Ronald Reagan and the fact that there's a carrier named after him. BUT, given the present system, it was somewhat fitting that this sub be named after Carter given his record in using subs for this purpose and given that he is the only president to be qualified on subs and one of Rickover's "boys". It still pained me everytime I had to applaud his greatness though.

I always felt the British naming of ships was "So F*****G POMPOUS" (as the grim reaper said in the Meaning of life.)

Illustrious, invincible, splendid... gotta admit.  Takes balls to get on a floating piece of steel, go out into the ocean, and say "Invincible!"

I think ships should be named after battles, or events that instantly bring a sense of pride and honor.  Yorktown, Saratoga, Midway, Iwo Jima, Tarwara...

I'd heard a story that Senator John Warner had introduced a bill requiring the next two CVNs be named USS Lexington and Saratoga. Any chance this is actually true?

. And the Navy does not use the names of land victories (so no HMS Washington  ).

Wonk! wrong answer:

Later Battle Class
HMS Agincourt  (second time that I know, first time in WW1)
HMS Aisne
HMS Alamein

Yup, the cable tappings were definitely authorized by Carter (read "Blind Man's Bluff") for more details on this.  After Hallibut left service this job fell to the old Seawolf (she actually had helicopter-like "skids" installed on her hull to allow her to land on the ocean floor).  Then Parche had her hull-extension mod in the late 1980s, which is when the capability went from being an ad-hoc sort of thing to being truly cutting edge.

While Carter personally authorized the tapping missions, it was really the Reagan Administration that exploited them.  I think it's covered in a few books ("Fall from Glory" is one of them, iirc), but in the early 1980s the USN managed to "disappear" a couple of CVGs and the New Jersey SAG in the Pacific.  The Sovs only "found" them when the inbound alpha strike on Vladivostok showed up on their radar screens (even though the A-6s turned away at the 12 mile limit, the Sovs were then force to "find" new pairs of underware).  Apparently the intelligence haul off the tapped cables during that particular game of chicken does the term "phenominal" a disservice.

--Garth

RN tradition limits the names used. Naming Ark Royal took much soul-searching & many arguments, because her predecessor hadn't been lost in battle, & that's traditionally a prerequisite for re-using a name. An exception was made because it's our oldest surviving ship name.

If you are into that stuff "Blind man's Bluff" is a fascinating story of cold war submarine action. Some of the stuff the US did was pretty amazing, and is only now starting to come to light. I'm sure in 20 years there will be a whole lot more eventually.

While Carter personally authorized the tapping missions, it was really the Reagan Administration that exploited them.  I think it's covered in a few books ("Fall from Glory" is one of them, iirc), but in the early 1980s the USN managed to "disappear" a couple of CVGs and the New Jersey SAG in the Pacific.  The Sovs only "found" them when the inbound alpha strike on Vladivostok showed up on their radar screens (even though the A-6s turned away at the 12 mile limit, the Sovs were then force to "find" new pairs of underware).  Apparently the intelligence haul off the tapped cables during that particular game of chicken does the term "phenominal" a disservice.

--Garth

The current HMS Argus, HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark being good examples of this, I suppose?