PUBLISHED:14:31 EST, 12 September 2012| UPDATED:15:53 EST, 12 September 2012
Organisers of the Democratic National Convention have said sorry for using an image of Soviet-era Russian warships as a backdrop for a tribute to veterans at last week’s party gathering in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The vessels were shown on a large screen behind 50 veterans who stood on the stage on September 6th during a presentation by retired Admiral John Nathman.
‘Due to vendor error, incorrect images appeared briefly on screen behind fifty-one veterans during the convention and the DNCC apologizes for this mistake,’ a Democratic National Convention Committee spokeswoman said in a statement to the Navy Times.
Oops: Retired Navy Admiral John B. Nathman speaks on stage with military veterans during the final day of the Democratic National Convention in front of Soviet-era Russian warships
Mix-up: The Soviet-era Russian warships that appeared onscreen during the Democratic National Convention are believed to be part of the Russian Black Sea Fleet
‘This error should not distract from the words of Admiral Nathman and others who spoke to President Obama’s strong record on issues that impact those who have served our nation.’
But the DNC took the opportunity to knock at Mitt Romney’s speech at last month’s Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida.
‘We’re proud of the service and sacrifice of our veterans and military families,’ the statement said. ‘And while they were an important and active part our of convention, Mitt Romney failed to even mention them in his speech in Tampa.’
The rogue warships, believed to be part of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, were first noticed by Rob Barker, a former naval electronics warfare technician, who contacted the Navy Times.
Naval historians spoken to by the Navy Times confirmed the background showed four ships ‘with radar designs not used’ by American warships.
‘The ships are definitely Russian,’ Norman Polmar, a naval author told the Navy Times after reviewing photos from the event. ‘There’s no question of that in my mind.
Embarrassing: Naval historians confirmed the background showed four ships ‘with radar designs not used’ by American warships
Mistake: The warships used incorrectly at the Democratic National Convention are similar to those in the image above of the Russian Federation frigate Pytliviy and cruiser Moskva, part of the Black Sea fleet pictured in 2005
This U.S. Destroyer the USS Gonzales is the looks similar to that of the Russian Black Sea fleet. The mistake was spotted by Naval historians who realised the radar design at the DNC was not the same as American warships, above