(WASHINGTON) — Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro announced on Monday that a future expeditionary fast transport (EPF) has been named after the Michigan capital, USNI News reported.
EPF-16 will be named USNS Lansing. It’s the second ship to bear the name Lansing, although the first, USS Lansing (DE-388), was named after Aviation Machinist Mate First Class William Henry Lansing, according to the Navy.
Naming the ship after a U.S. city follows the trend of naming EPFs after U.S. locations. EPF-15 was named for Point Loma, Calif.
There have been 32 naval ships named after some aspect of Michigan, Del Toro said during his remarks on Monday. This includes the first iron-hulled ship in the Navy, named after the state and commissioned in 1844. Other ships have been named after Detroit, Flint and Grand Rapids.
“But I don’t know for sure why there hasn’t been a ship named after this city,” Del Toro said. “I do know, however, that this city is a testament and monument to American ingenuity and our democratic ideals.”
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will serve as the ship’s sponsor.
“Lansing has something for everyone and everyone has a place in Lansing,” Whitmer said. “This is a diverse, inclusive city where people from around the world have come to build better lives for themselves and their loved ones.”
Austal USA is building the future USNS Lansing. The Mobile, Ala.,-based shipyard announced in May 2022 that it received a contract for $230.5 million to design and build the ship.
It’s the third EPF Flight II ship built by Austal and the 16th expeditionary fast transport the company has constructed. Austal delivered USNS Cody (EPF-14) in January.
