The Navy has selected its newest nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Atlanta

U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens joined U.S. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro as he announces that the newest Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarine will be named “USS Atlanta” during a ceremony at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum October 23, 2024 (Riley Bunch)

(Tribune News Service) – The Navy’s newest Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarine will be commissioned with the “USS Atlanta” logo on its side.

For the first time in 25 years, hundreds of young U.S. Navy sailors will travel aboard a ship named after the city of Atlanta, the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum announced Wednesday. Atlanta was named after five previous Navy ships that served in times of crisis during the Civil War, World War II and the Cold War.

City leaders say the newest edition of the namesake fleet carries with it more than just a title, but the legacy of Atlanta’s civil rights heroes who promoted justice and led the fight for human rights at home and abroad.

“It is the spirit of relentless pursuit of what is right and just that we will send overseas again,” U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams said at the ceremony. “As it goes on missions around the world, this ship will carry with it the indestructible spirit of Atlanta.”

Atlanta’s newest submarine will also replace another ship named after a Georgia icon: the USS Jimmy Carter, which was commissioned and named for the 39th president in 2005.

Carter was a young naval officer in the nation’s nascent nuclear submarine program in 1952 when he helped thwart one of North America’s early nuclear reactor disasters. Carter used his studies in science and nuclear physics to quickly dismantle a Canadian experimental reactor near Ottawa when it overheated.

During the naming ceremony, Carter’s grandson, Josh Carter, spoke of the former president’s deep love for Georgia’s capital.

“If you ask my grandfather about his hometown, he’ll probably tell you about his life in Plains,” Josh Carter said. “But Jimmy Carter’s life of service, his political life and his life as a global citizen all have their roots right here in Atlanta.”

And after a quarter-century without a Navy ship bearing Atlanta’s name, Mayor Andre Dickens announced Wednesday: “We may not have any beaches in Atlanta, but now we have a submarine.”

“The USS Atlanta will sail the seas keeping the peace and, if necessary, will be able to protect the interests of American citizens,” Dickens told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Throughout history, the city has maintained close relations with the Navy. The first Marine aviator, Lt. Col. Alfred Cunningham, was born in Atlanta in 1882. Atlanta Naval Air Station opened in 1943 and trained thousands of pilots and instructors before moving to Dobbins Air Force Base.

U.S. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro said the USS Atlanta will help the country address challenges around the world – from the rapidly approaching third anniversary of Russia’s attack on Ukraine to China’s growing maritime presence.

“Wherever she sails, she will represent not only the legacy of the proud ships that before her were called USS Atlanta, but also the thousands of Atlantans who have honorably and faithfully served the United States in uniform,” Del Toro said.

Former Atlanta Mayor Kiesha Lance Bottoms will serve as the ship’s sponsor, recognizing her as an honorary member of the ship’s crew and an advocate for its needs.

©2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Visit ajc.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.