The U.S Navy christened the future USNS Lansing (EPF 16) during a ceremony at Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama, Jan. 10.
The principal address was delivered by The Honorable Hung Cao, Under Secretary of the Navy. Additional speakers included Vice Adm. Seiko Okano, principal military deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition; Rear Adm. Benjamin Nicholson, commander, Military Sealift Command; Ms. Michelle Kruger, president of Austal USA; and Mr. Scott Bonk, director of Future Combatants and Mission Systems, General Dynamics Mission Systems.
“As we christen the future USNS Lansing, we celebrate another symbol of the unbreakable linkage that ties the workmanship of our shipyard workers to those of our American mariners who will man these ships. This also marks the pivotal transition from construction to the rigorous test and trials phase to ensure these platforms are ready to answer the call,” said Under Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao.
In a time-honored tradition, the ship’s sponsors, the Honorable Gretchen Whitmer, Governor of Michigan, and the Honorable Lisa McClain, U.S. Representative, Michigan’s 9th District, christened the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow.
“The future USNS Lansing is one step closer to joining the U.S. fleet and Military Sealift Command to answer the call to action, any ocean, any time,” said Cao.
The ship is named in honor of Michigan’s capital city Lansing. USNS Lansing is the first ship to be named after the city, a manufacturing hub that has produced supplies for our nation’s military since the Civil War.
EPF 16, as the final “Flight II” ship of the Spearhead class, will be able to deploy as an expeditionary fast transport, as a Role 2 medical-capable platform, or as a combination of both. The ship is currently designated to be crewed by 31 civilian mariners and is capable of embarking up to 155 embarked forces, or an Expeditionary Medical Unit as required.
The original announcement can be found here.