PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - Gov. Dennis Daugaard is traveling to Connecticut for the christening of the USS South Dakota submarine.
Daugaard says the submarine bearing the state’s name is lighter and faster than the previous class of subs and has the latest technology. He’ll be the keynote speaker at the ceremony in Groton Saturday morning.
The boat is the third U.S. Navy vessel to be named after South Dakota. The first was a Pennsylvania-class armored cruiser christened in 1904. The ship was attached to the Pacific Fleet during the Mexican Civil War and to the Atlantic Fleet during World War I.
The second USS South Dakota was the first South Dakota-class battleship and was christened in 1941. It had two tours in the Pacific and one in the Atlantic during World War II.
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