The U.S. Navy has christened the future USNS Lansing (EPF-16), the final vessel of the Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport program, at Austal USA’s shipyard in Mobile, Alabama. The milestone highlights sustained U.S. investment in high-speed sealift, intra-theater logistics, and afloat medical support at a time when naval sustainment is under growing strain in both the Indo-Pacific and Europe. Built on an aluminum catamaran hull, Lansing combines shallow-draft access, rapid transit speeds exceeding 35 knots, and a flexible mission bay designed to move troops, vehicles, and humanitarian aid.
