GROTON, Conn. (AP) — Navy Secretary John H. Dalton and other dignitaries christened the nation’s 16th Trident submarine, the USS Maine, during a ceremony Saturday at Electric Boat.

“To win 100 battles in 100 days is not the acme of skill; to win without fighting — that is the acme of skill,” Dalton said, quoting an ancient Eastern philosopher.

Dalton credited the nation’s submarine fleet for the “silent victory” of the Cold War.

“The Cold War may be over,” he said, “but its legacy lives on. Deterrents remain the most important peacekeeper.”

The submarine, built at Electric Boat, is the third Navy ship named in honor of the 23rd state. The first was a second-class armored battleship sunk in 1898 by an explosion in Havana harbor in Cuba.

The second Maine (BB-10), commissioned in 1902, served in the round-the-world voyage of the “Great White Fleet” in 1907-1908 and also served as a training ship during World War I.

Featured speakers at the christening included presidential counselor Thomas “Mack” McLarty, the former White House chief of staff.

McLarty called the submarine “a symbol of the values we share as a nation. A symbol of our preparedness. A symbol of our resolve. A symbol of our technological excellence. A symbol of duty, honor, and service to our country.”

McLarty praised the efforts of submariners in guarding against potential conflicts. “It was through their efforts — and yours — that the Cold War never became a global war,” he said.