Chief of Naval Operations Jonathan Greenert is expected in Groton for a submarine exhibit ribbon cutting.
The Navy's top officer is expected to visit Connecticut this week for a ceremony to introduce a new exhibit at the Submarine Force Museum in Groton.
Admiral Jonathan Greenert will be the guest speaker at Wednesday's ribbon-cutting for the outdoor exhibit dedicated to submarine NR-1.
According the museum's website, the addition of the NR-1 is the largest new installation there in 15 years. The exhibit includes the vessel's sail, propellers, rudder, robotic arm, and several other parts.
Greenert, who became Chief of Naval Operations in 2011, was himself a member of the crew aboard the small submarine earlier in his career.
The nuclear-powered NR-1 was one of the most secretive vessels in the U.S. undersea force. Launched in 1969, the vessel carried no weapons and was primarily used for research, though it was involved in several military operations that remain classified to this day.
Its missions included work on an undersea submarine-detection network, mapping of the ocean floor, and the salvage of parts of the space shuttle Challenger, which exploded over the Atlantic in 1986. It was capable of diving up to half a mile below the surface.
Watch below for a short video on the NR-1.
This report contains information from the Associated Press.
