Vessel will be only submarine with its own squadron
Since 11-27-01
New London Day Article
By Robert A. Hamilton
Published on 10/13/2001
When the USS Jimmy Carter is commissioned in 2004, it will become the only submarine in the Navy to have its own squadron., Lt. Cmdr. Robert S. Mehal said this week. The Navy will establish Submarine Development Squadron 19 effective July 1, 2003, in Bangor, Wash., where the Jimmy Carter will be home ported.
At this point, Mehal said, the Carter is the only submarine planned for the squadron, which is unusual - but the Carter is going to be a pretty unusual submarine. Originally intended as the third and last of the Seawolf class of submarines, last year the Navy announced it had awarded Electric Boat, which is building the submarine, an $887 million contract modification to add a 100-foot, 2,500-ton section to the middle of the boat.
Many of the details of the modifications planned for Jimmy Carter are classified, but the Navy has acknowledged it will have special maneuvering devices at the bow and stern that, as well as an upgraded radio room and communications suite, improved combat systems and better sonar processing.
The special section will allow it to carry up to 50 commandos, including a special forces command center and exercise space. But the most radical change will be the new free-flooding hull insert, with a special 80-inch diameter lockout trunk to allow material to be passed from inside the pressure hull, which allows the use a much broader range of equipment than can be passed out of the existing 21-inch torpedo tubes on submarines.
Though the Carter will not be commissioned for almost three years, some of its crew reported as early as last February, including the captain, Cmdr. Marc W. Denno; the executive officer, Lt. Cmdr. Steven P. Browne; and the Chief of the Boat, Machinist's Mate Master Chief Shawn D. Burke.
The Carter will replace the spy submarine USS Parche, SSN 683, which is now homeported in Bangor but attached to Submarine Squadron 5 in San Diego, which is the smallest squadron the submarine force operates, with two submarines and two deep submergence rescue vessels.
But with the special forces capability, Carter will also replace the capabilities of two converted ballistic missile submarines that were operating out of Pearl as special forces delivery boats, which have been decommissioned.
The Carter will also be co-located with Submarine Squadron 17 in Bangor, which operates eight Trident-class ballistic missile submarines, but it would need a different type of support infrastructure. While Carter will start out as the only submarine in Squadron 19, it might not stay that way for long. The Navy has received authorization to convert at least two older Tridents to fire conventional missiles and carry large numbers of special forces, so they could be candidates for the squadron.
The Navy is also standing up Submarine Squadron 15 on the Pacific Island of Guam, where it will homeport three attack submarines initially.