The US Navy has christened its 16th and final Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport ship, the USNS Lansing (EPF 16), at Austal’s shipyard in Mobile, Alabama.
The program, now nearing completion, is part of the US Department of Defense’s effort launched in the early 2000s to field high-speed logistics vessels able to carry company-sized units and their corresponding vehicles.
Lansing is the last of three Spearhead systems with a Flight II configuration, an upgrade allowing a hull to deploy in its standard transport function, a Role 2 floating hospital, or a combination of both capabilities.
The ship was named after Michigan’s capital of Lansing, and is the first naval ship to bear the city’s name, honoring the region’s tactical equipment manufacturing support for the US armed forces since the Civil War.
The ceremony was led by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan’s 9th District Representative Lisa McClain, who both served as the ship’s sponsor.
“I was especially honored to witness this tradition that means so much to our Navy and our Nation with the christening of the last ship of this great fleet,” Austal USA President Michelle Kruger said at the event.
“These ships are built by an exceptional team of dedicated men and women who consistently strive to be the best in the industry, delivering the most capable and cost-effective vessels to our superior Navy.”
Austal’s Spearhead Design
The Spearhead has a length of 103 meters (338 feet) and a beam of 29 meters (95 feet). It is crewed by up to 40 personnel and can carry about 300 troops.
The ship is fitted with a landing pad for a single maritime attack helicopter similar in size to a CH-53K King Stallion, a separate storage platform for an additional rotorcraft similar to the MH-60 Seahawk, and rigid-hull inflatable boats for support missions.
For security, the vessel can be equipped with four M2 .50-caliber heavy machine guns.
The Spearhead sails with four MTU 20V8000 diesel engines, enabling a top speed of 43 knots (80 kilometers/49 miles per hour) and a range of 1,200 nautical miles (2,222 kilometers/1,381 miles).
