Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 3:29:08-3:29:24

Does carrying submersibles make USS Jimmy Carter a ship?

Modern edge cases do not overturn the entrenched submarine tradition: submariners have called their vessels boats for too long for the label to change easily.

Naval TerminologySubmarinesSubmersiblesUSS Jimmy Carter
Watch at this timeFull video guide
Question

If USS Jimmy Carter carries smaller submersibles internally, should it count as a ship?

Short answer

It complicates the old definition, but submarine crews have used 'boat' for so long that tradition and identity now preserve the term.

Notes

A submarine that carries smaller submersibles complicates the historical carried-craft definition. The example challenges the old distinction, but terminology has become a matter of service identity and pride. Modern capability does not automatically change the inherited name.