Secretary of the Navy John H. Dalton announced his decision today to name the third and final submarine of the Seawolf Class for former President Jimmy Carter.

Jimmy Carter (SSN 23) honors the 39th president of the United States. President Carter is the only U.S. president ever to qualify in submarines. He has distinguished himself by a lifetime of public service, and has long ties to the Navy and the submarine force. He is a 1946 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, served as an officer aboard submarines while in uniform, and served as commander-in-chief from 1977-1981 while in the Oval Office. President Carter's statesmanship, philanthropy and sense of humanity have made him one of the most influential Americans of the late 20th century.

The three submarines of the Seawolf Class are the most capable, multi-mission submarines ever built. They combine speed, stealth, a large and varied weapons load and the latest in hi-tech electronics to provide unlimited flexibility while operating "Forward. . .From the Sea." The ships have an overall length of 353 feet, a beam of 40 feet, displace 9,150 tons and a crew size of approximately 130.

With mission and growth capability far beyond previous submarines, the robust design uniquely supports missions such as surveillance, intelligence collection, special warfare, covert cruise missile strike, mine warfare, anti-submarine and anti-surface ship warfare. In addition to its formidable open ocean presence, the Seawolf class is also a highly capable shallow water warfare platform, setting the standard for submarine technology into the next century. Its inherent stealth, coupled with state-of-the-art sensors and advanced combat systems, make it the benchmark for underwater excellence. Jimmy Carter's flexibility and impressive capabilities will provide the Navy with an undersea weapons platform to operate in any scenario against any threat -- from under arctic ice to shallow water.

Armed with the battle-proven Tomahawk cruise missiles, Jimmy Carter will be able to safely conduct deep strike missions while submerged far off an enemy's coast. Jimmy Carter will also carries the Mark 48 advanced capability torpedo, the most reliable torpedo in the world for use against surface ships and submarines. With twice as many torpedo tubes and a 30 percent increase in weapons magazine size compared to the Los Angeles class submarines, Jimmy Carter will be eminently capable of establishing and maintaining battle space dominance.

Secretary Dalton will host President and Mrs. Carter at a naming ceremony for this vessel on April 27, 1998 at 1:15 p.m. The ceremony will be held at the Pentagon center courtyard (fair weather) or the "Navy Corridor" outside room 4E686 (foul weather). No previous ships have been named Jimmy Carter.