USS Ted Stevens Commissioned in Alaska, Honors Senator

The USS Ted Stevens (DDG 128) was commissioned into active service in Whittier, Alaska, on Oct. 3, 2026. Following post-commissioning operations, the guided-missile destroyer will transit to its permanent homeport at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia.

The ceremony marked the first U.S. Navy commissioning in Alaska since the USS Anchorage in 2013. The ship had arrived in Whittier on Sept. 27 after being delivered to the Navy in December 2025 and conducting initial trials at Norfolk in May 2026. Acting Secretary of the Navy The Honorable Hung Cao spoke during the event. "Today, USS Ted Stevens is no longer preparing to join the fleet," he said. "Today, Ted Stevens is the fleet."

Ship capabilities and class significance

USS Ted Stevens is the second Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer to enter active service. Built by Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division in Pascagoula, Mississippi, it is a centerpiece of naval modernization. The 9,700-ton vessel is built around the AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar and the Aegis Baseline 10 combat system.

This configuration provides enhanced integrated air and missile defense. The SPY-6 radar detects and tracks aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles at longer ranges than the older SPY-1 systems on earlier destroyers. The Flight III design includes increased electrical power and expanded cooling capacity to support these advanced sensors and future weapons. The ship is engineered for high-threat environments and is capable of air defense, ballistic missile defense, anti-submarine, and surface warfare missions.

Senator Ted Stevens' legacy and ceremonial honors

The ship is the first U.S. Navy warship to bear the name of Senator Ted Stevens. He was a decorated World War II Army Air Corps pilot who flew hazardous transport missions over 'The Hump' in the China-Burma-India theater, earning two Distinguished Flying Crosses and two Air Medals. Stevens later played an instrumental role in securing Alaska statehood in 1959 and served in the U.S. Senate from 1968 to 2009, where he was a dedicated advocate for modernizing the armed forces.

The ship's sponsors are his widow, Catherine Ann Stevens, and his daughters, Susan Stevens Covich and Lily Stevens Becker. Becker expressed her pride during the ceremony. I am deeply honored and proud to be your sponsor, along with my mother and sister Susan, she said. The ship's motto is 'Lead with Courage,' and its commanding officer is U.S. Navy Capt. Mary Katey Hayes. Alaska’s congressional delegation advocated for holding the commissioning in the state, a request approved by the Secretary of the Navy in March 2026.

Strategic context and naval presence in Alaska

The choice of Alaska for the commissioning shows the Navy's strategic focus on high-latitude operations and homeland defense. Alaska lies along critical northern Pacific and Arctic sea lanes linking North America with Asia. The Navy maintains a persistent operational presence in the region to deter aggression and safeguard these maritime routes.

This event highlights the enduring maritime significance of Alaska and the shared commitment between the state and the Navy to homeland defense. The commissioning emphasizes the service's commitment to building what it calls America's Golden Fleet and operating forward continuously. The Navy has not disclosed where or when the USS Ted Stevens will make its first deployment or join a carrier strike group.

The ship will now prepare for its transit from Alaska to Norfolk, Virginia.