USS Ted Stevens coming to Whittier for rare Alaska commissioning

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – The U.S. Navy has approved plans to commission the guided-missile destroyer USS Ted Stevens in Whittier, Alaska, a rare move for a ceremony typically held at major fleet hubs, according to the USS Ted Stevens Commissioning Committee. Secretary of the Navy John Phelan formally signed off on the location, with the commissioning now anticipated for fall 2026.

If held as planned, it would be the first Navy ship commissioning in Alaska since 2013, when the amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage was commissioned at the Don Young Port of Alaska in Anchorage.

The ship, designated DDG 128, is an Arleigh Burke-class Flight III destroyer that was delivered in December to the Navy by Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding. The destroyer is equipped with the AN/SPY-6(V)1 radar and the Aegis Baseline 10 combat system, designed to address modern and emerging threats, according to the company.

Commissioning mark the moment a ship officially enters the fleet and includes a formal ceremony recognizing the crew and the vessel’s namesake. The committee said the Whittier event is expected to draw the ship’s sailors and families, senior military leaders, elected officials and visitors from around the country.

The commissioning committee’s vice president, Rep. Chuck Kopp, called the planned Alaska commissioning “a profound honor” and said the event would reflect Stevens’ legacy and Alaska’s ties to the military.

The committee said additional details, including the official date, public events and ways for Alaskans and visitors to participate, will be announced in coming months.

See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com

Copyright 2026 KTUU. All rights reserved.