USS Jimmy Carter joins fleet
June 11, 2008 · Updated 1:35 PM
GROTON, Conn. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter called Saturdays commissioning ceremony of the submarine named after him the most deeply appreciated and emotional honor Ive ever had.
With a $3.2 billion price tag, the USS Jimmy Carter is the the most technologically advanced submarine ever built. Its $923 million, 100-foot hull extension is a hangar bay which can house future generations of weapons and unmanned undersea vehicles such as those in development at Keyport.
Some intelligence experts have said the hull extension also allows the submarine to conduct intelligence gathering by tapping undersea fiber optic cables, something Navy officials deny.
I know that (the captain and crews) dedication is to use its extraordinary capabilities, many top secret, to preserve peace, protect our country and to keep high the banner of human rights around the world, Carter said in his prepared remarks to the crowd of 2,500 gathered at the Naval Submarine Base New London. The submarine is the first to be named after an ex-president.
Carter, himself a submariner during his stint in the Navy, was joined by his wife Rosalynn, former Vice President Walter Mondale and Stansfield Turner, CIA director during the Carter administration.
There are limits to what I can say on
Comment on this story.
So keep your comments:
- Civil
- Smart
- On-topic
- Free of profanity
We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters. We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please refer to our Terms of Use for full detail on participating on our site.
