SECNAV Del Toro Names Navy’s Newest Expeditionary Fast Transport Ship Lansing; Invites Governor of Michigan to Serve as Sponsor

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LANSING, Michigan (July 22, 2024) - Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro announced that a future Expeditionary Fast Transport, EPF 16, will be named USNS Lansing on July 22.

Secretary Del Toro made the announcement during a press conference at the Michigan State Capitol.

The future USNS Lansing is the first ship named in honor of Michigan's capital city, Lansing. A previous USS Lansing (DE 388) was named for Aviation Machinist Mate First Class William Henry Lansing and decommissioned in 1965.

"This city is a testament and monument to American ingenuity and our democratic ideals," said Secretary Del Toro. "It is my deepest honor to announce that the next expeditionary fast transport, EPF 16, will be named USNS Lansing."

Secretary Del Toro made the announcement alongside Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Mayor Andy Schor of Lansing, Michigan. Both spoke about the honor and meaning behind the naming of the Navy's newest EPF.

"On behalf of the City of Lansing and our residents, I am truly grateful that the Navy has decided to name this new vessel in honor of our city. Lansing, in addition to being Michigan's capital, is a manufacturing hub that has proudly supplied and supported those serving this country in every conflict since the Civil War," said Mayor Schor. "Knowing that this great tradition lives on in this new vessel is a testament to the work our residents have done to support our military throughout the years."

Along with the ship's name, Secretary Del Toro also announced that Governor Whitmer will serve as sponsor of the future USNS Lansing. In her role as sponsor, she will represent a lifelong relationship with the ship and crew.

"Lansing has something for everyone and everyone has a place in Lansing," said Governor Whitmer. "This is a diverse, inclusive city where people from around the world have come to build better lives for themselves and their loved ones."

Lansing, the capital of Michigan, is located primarily in Ingham County in central Michigan's Lower Peninsula on the Grand River at its confluence with the Red Cedar River. With a population of more than 112,000, Lansing is the sixth-largest city in Michigan.

A provision of the Michigan constitution moved the state capital from Detroit to Ingham County's unsettled Lansing Township in 1847. Initially called the Village of Michigan, the new capital took the name of the township it had been in in 1849.

In the late 1850s, the state legislature began financing the construction of roads running from Lansing to larger cities like Detroit. This was a significant step towards the city's future development. In the 1870s, railroads connected the capital to out-of-state destinations, further enhancing its connectivity. At the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries, Lansing experienced an industrial boom with the establishment of several automobile manufacturers, a period that shaped the city's identity and economic landscape.

Over the next several decades, the city became a central American hub producing motor vehicles.

However, the decline of the automotive industry in the late 2000s was a turning point for Lansing. Instead of succumbing to the crisis, the city diversified its economy, engaging in a broader range of industries including healthcare, education, government service, insurance, banking, and information technology. This resilience and adaptability are a testament to Lansing's strength and potential.

The Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) is a shallow draft, all aluminum, commercial-based catamaran capable of intra-theater personnel and cargo lift, providing combatant commanders high-speed sealift mobility with inherent cargo handling capability and agility to achieve positional advantage over operational distances. Bridging the gap between low-speed sealift and high-speed airlift, EPFs transport personnel, equipment and supplies over operational distances with access to littoral offload points including austere, minor and degraded ports in support of the Global War on Terrorism/Theater Security Cooperation Program, Intra-theater Operational/Littoral Maneuver and Sustainment and Seabasing. EPFs enable the rapid projection, agile maneuver and sustainment of modular, tailored forces in response to a wide range of military and civilian contingencies such as Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief.

More information on our expeditionary fast transport ship programs can be found here.

Read Secretary Del Toro's full remarks here.