On 10 January 2026, the U.S. Navy christened the future USNS Lansing (EPF 16), a Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport, during a ceremony at Austal USA’s shipyard in Mobile, Alabama. The event, highlighted by Military Sealift Command on X and by Austal USA on LinkedIn, marks the ship’s transition from construction to trials. In a context of growing maritime competition and strain on naval logistics in the Indo-Pacific and Europe, the christening of Lansing, the sixteenth and final ship of its class, underlines Washington’s intention to maintain fast, agile sealift and afloat medical support in contested theaters. For partners and competitors alike, the ceremony signals that the United States continues to invest not only in combatants but also in the enabling platforms that make large-scale naval operations feasible. Read Full Defense News At This Link.
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| The expeditionary fast transport is a high-speed, shallow-draft U.S. Navy vessel designed to move troops, equipment, and medical support rapidly within contested maritime theaters (Picture Source: U.S. Government) |