The U.S. Navy commissioned its newest Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, USS Ted Stevens (DDG 128), during a formal ceremony Oct. 3, 2026, in Whittier, Alaska. The ship is the second Flight III destroyer to enter active service, according to a Navy press release.
The destroyer is built around the AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar and the Aegis Baseline 10 combat system, which the Navy said delivers a generational leap in simultaneous anti-air warfare and ballistic missile defense. The ship also features enhanced electrical power distribution and expanded cooling capacity, according to the release.
The ship is named for the late Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, a Republican who served in the U.S. Senate from 1968 to 2009. Stevens was an Army Air Forces pilot during World War II, flying transport missions over “The Hump” in the China-Burma-India theater with the 14th Air Force “Flying Tigers,” earning two Distinguished Flying Crosses and two Air Medals. He also played a role in securing Alaska statehood in 1959, the Navy said.
During the ceremony, Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao addressed the crew.
“Today, USS Ted Stevens is no longer preparing to join the fleet. Today, Ted Stevens is the fleet,” Cao said. “Today, USS Ted Stevens stands ready to defend the homeland, deter aggression, and when called upon, fight and win.”
The ship’s sponsors — Catherine Ann Stevens, the senator’s wife, and his daughters Susan Stevens Covich and Lily Stevens Becker — gave the traditional order to “Man our ship and bring her to life!” The commissioning crew then ran aboard to man the rails and set the first watch.
Capt. Mary Katey Hayes, the ship’s commanding officer, said the crew was ready to answer the nation’s call “whether the winds of war blow near the rugged coast of Alaska, or in the far reaches of the globe.”
The ship’s motto is “Lead with Courage.” The Navy said the commissioning location in Whittier, a deep-water port, emphasizes the service’s operational presence in high-latitude environments. The ship arrived in Whittier on Sept. 28, 2026, ahead of the ceremony, marking the first time a Navy vessel had visited the city in 80 years, according to Military.com.
Following post-commissioning operations, USS Ted Stevens will transit to its permanent homeport in Norfolk, Virginia, the Navy said.
Sources: Military.com · DoD News