U.S. Navy has held recently the naming ceremony for its new warship. Christened the USS Jackson, the Independence-class littoral combat ship is expected to join the fleet by 2015, ClarionLedger reports.
U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, a former Mississippi governor and state auditor, spoke briefly on the ship's naming at a news conference Wednesday afternoon in front of City Hall.
"To get to name a ship after the capital of my home state is one of the greatest things I've gotten to do," Mabus said.
He said it will have a 30-year life span, adding: "Sailors not yet born will sail in the USS Jackson."
The USS Jackson will be the sixth ship of its kind, a model that Mabus said will eventually make up 15 percent of the fleet.
"It's one of the most versatile, most valuable ships we have in the Navy," Mabus said, touting its ability to maneuver in shallow waters and the deep ocean. Its weapon systems can also be changed out, giving it flexibility for different missions.
The USS Jackson will be built at a shipyard in Mobile, Ala., which Mabus said will mean jobs for people in the region, including Mississippians. The vessels cost around $439 million each.
Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. said city and state citizens can be proud that a combat ship bearing the capital city's name will be seen "in seas across the world."
Jackson City Council members were conspicuous no-shows at the news conference, and Council President Frank Bluntson said the administration was to blame.
In a memo to the mayor, Bluntson complained that "on a regular basis, the City Council is being notified of events on the day of the events."
"An event of this magnitude I am sure was planned prior to today," Bluntson wrote. "It appears the media was provided enough notice, giving me the impression the failure to communicate with the council was intentional."
Bluntson said the council was notified just four hours before the 2 p.m. event.
Mayor's office spokesman Chris Mims took the blame for the late notice and said it was an oversight.
"It's completely my fault," Mims said. "This morning I asked the city clerk to notify them."
U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, a former Mississippi governor and state auditor, spoke briefly on the ship's naming at a news conference Wednesday afternoon in front of City Hall.
"To get to name a ship after the capital of my home state is one of the greatest things I've gotten to do," Mabus said.
He said it will have a 30-year life span, adding: "Sailors not yet born will sail in the USS Jackson."
The USS Jackson will be the sixth ship of its kind, a model that Mabus said will eventually make up 15 percent of the fleet.
"It's one of the most versatile, most valuable ships we have in the Navy," Mabus said, touting its ability to maneuver in shallow waters and the deep ocean. Its weapon systems can also be changed out, giving it flexibility for different missions.
The USS Jackson will be built at a shipyard in Mobile, Ala., which Mabus said will mean jobs for people in the region, including Mississippians. The vessels cost around $439 million each.
Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. said city and state citizens can be proud that a combat ship bearing the capital city's name will be seen "in seas across the world."
Jackson City Council members were conspicuous no-shows at the news conference, and Council President Frank Bluntson said the administration was to blame.
In a memo to the mayor, Bluntson complained that "on a regular basis, the City Council is being notified of events on the day of the events."
"An event of this magnitude I am sure was planned prior to today," Bluntson wrote. "It appears the media was provided enough notice, giving me the impression the failure to communicate with the council was intentional."
Bluntson said the council was notified just four hours before the 2 p.m. event.
Mayor's office spokesman Chris Mims took the blame for the late notice and said it was an oversight.
"It's completely my fault," Mims said. "This morning I asked the city clerk to notify them."