| For Immediate Release CONNECTICUT DELEGATION MAKES CASE FOR NEW LONDON SUB BASE Letter to Defense Secretary Rumsfeld outlines unique military-industrial-educational nexus March 11, 2005 WASHINGTON – The Connecticut Congressional Delegation today urged Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to duly weigh the defense value of the special relationship between the New London Naval Submarine Base, the Naval Submarine School, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center and the Electric Boat Corporation when the Defense Department considers recommendations to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission. “The defense value of the Naval Submarine Base New London goes well beyond its obvious traditional military value,” said Senators Chris Dodd and Joe Lieberman and Representatives Rob Simmons, Chris Shays, Nancy Johnson, Rosa DeLauro and John Larson said in a letter. “The unique base-submarine school-undersea warfare center-industrial nexus provides the navy with a one-of-a-kind American asset – a gold mine for future transformational developments that will build upon the achievements of the past.” The delegation sent the same letter to Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and Secretary of the Navy Gordon R. England. The full text of the letter is below: March 11,2005
This military-industrial-educational nexus, anchored by Sub Base New
London, represents a transformational diamond developed over the last
100 years. As you prepare your recommendation to the 2005 Commission
on Base Realignment and Closure Commission, we urge you to consider
the additional defense value produced by this special convergence of
American expertise, talent and technology. The Naval Submarine Base New London, "Home of the Submarine Force,"
is the core of an undersea warfare community that has produced many
of America's greatest naval advancements. Some of these milestones include
the design and production of the USS Nautilus - the very first nuclear-powered
submarine - and the USS Jimmy Carter, the most sophisticated warship
ever built. The trend will soon continue through Tango Bravo, a cooperative research
and development program to develop a submarine with all the capabilities
of a Virginia-class, but at half the size and price. This transformational
platform could ultimately help the Navy afford the number of submarines
it needs. Such initiatives thrive within the undersea warfare community around
Sub Base New London because it is a true center of excellence. Instructors
at the Naval Submarine School borrow lessons learned from the crews
of the 16 home-ported attack boats to better train the silent service's
newest volunteers. All of this interaction takes place both formally
and spontaneously because that is the nature of great Americans with
common passions and the blessings of proximity. It is hard to imagine
this level and quality of interplay replicated at any other us. naval
base. The undersea warfare community partnership also makes good business
sense. Next door to the Sub Base, the Electric Boat Corporation uses
its century of experience to maintain standards of excellence in the
design, construction and lifecycle support of submarines for the us.
Navy. Its primary operations are the shipyard in Groton (CT), and the
automated hull-fabrication and outfitting facility in Quonset Point
(RI), with a combined workforce of more than 11,000 employees. On any given day, hundreds of EB employees work within the gates of
the Sub Base, addressing problems at the source. Submariners of all
ranks interact with Electric Boat employees to ensure that future designs
incorporate every war fighting lesson our sailors have to offer. This
partnership between the highly skilled workers of Electric Boat and
the Navy-the region's second largest employer-addresses the very special
needs of the submarine community perhaps better than any other local-military
partnership in the United States today. The defense value of the Naval Submarine BaseNew London goes well beyond
its obvious traditional military value. The unique base-submarine school-undersea
warfare centerindustrial nexus provides the Navy with a one-of-a-kind
American asset-a gold mine for future transformational developments
that will build upon the achievements of the past. It is for these reasons
that we urge you to duly weigh the defense value of this special relationship
as you consider your recommendations to the Base Realignment and Closure
Commission. All the best, -30- |