small_carterDiagram
Originally uploaded by Normthephotoguy.
The USS Jimmy Carter has been commissioned. It has a top speed of 33 knots submerged, with a 25 knot tactical (quiet) speed. At 453 feet long, the Jimmy Carter is about 100 feet longer than the earlier Seawolfs. It has a crew of about 130 people. It is a lot quieter than the Los Angeles attack subs, and quite a bit quieter than the new Virginia class. It has an extra-strong sail so it can break through Arctic ice.
http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2005/nr20050215-2088.html
The Jimmy Carter's extra length consists of its "wasp waist," or multi-mission platform. This is a 100-foot section behind the sail in which the pressure hull narrows to a relatively small cylinder. The area between the submarine skin and the relatively narrow section of pressure hull will be used as an "ocean interface." This makes it easier to carry things that will be dropped off and retrieved underwater, such as unmanned subs, divers, mines, and etc. When you consider that the submarine operates silently at water-ski speeds, you can see why it's a good idea to have extra equipment inside the skin of the submarine.
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