VIDEO: Military Ships Announced For OpSail 2012

In a ceremony held at today, organizers of OpSail 2012 Connecticut welcomed vessels from the Navy and Coast Guard to the list of vessels taking part in the Parade of Sail and public tours.

Officials from the Coast Guard, Navy, and Connecticut National Guard spoke at the event, along with local, state, and federal government officials. OpSail 2012 will arrive in the region when the Parade of Sail visits Niantic on July 6. The festivities will then proceed to New London on July 7-9 when the Parade of Sail enters New London Harbor. The weekend's events will coincide with the annual Sailfest celebration.

The new ships announced for the event are:

• The USS Carter Hall, a 609-foot dock landing ship from Little Creek, Va. The ship completed a nine-month deployment in the Middle East in May of 2011 and deploys amphibious operations of Marines and Special Forces.
• Four U.S. Navy Academy Yard Patrol Craft. These 108-foot vessels provide training for naval cadets in Annapolis, Md.
• The Coast Guard cutter Morro Bay, a 140-foot icebreaker based in New London.
• The Coast Guard cutter Juniper, a 225-foot ship based out of Newport, R.I.
• The Coast Guard cutter Ridley, an 87-foot patrol boat based in Montauk, N.Y.
• The Coast Guard cutter Sailfish, an 87-foot patrol boat based out of Sandy Hook, N.J.

The Connecticut National Guard will also feature some of their small vessels. The Coast Guard participation will include historical information at Fort Trumbull, a flyover of the Parade of Sail by Coast Guard aircraft, and a search and rescue demonstration.

have committed to the Parade of Sail so far.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.