USS Ted Stevens commissioning to take place in Alaska in summer of 2026

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – During a US Navy Council meeting on Thursday, the group announced that the USS Ted Stevens is expected to be commissioned in Alaska in the next couple of years.

That was part of the update shared on the Ted Stevens Foundation, including details on its mission and the years-long project.

Lily Stevens Becker, the youngest daughter of the late Sen. Ted Stevens and the president of the Ted Stevens Foundation, described her father as being multi-faceted in what he was passionate about in Alaska and around the world, which made it more challenging to figure out the best way to honor and further his legacy.

“What we’re doing right now is trying to further his legacy by inspiring leadership and service in his spirit,” Stevens Becker said. “This is an incredible way to do it, through the USS Ted Stevens.”

She said it’s overwhelming to know that there will soon be sailors on the decks of the USS Ted Stevens, along with what she describes as the spirit of Alaska.

Stevens Becker said she hopes her dad will be remembered for his selflessness, and his service to his family and community.

Cherie Curry, President of the Ted Stevens Commissioning Committee, said the commissioning of the USS Ted Stevens, which will be the ‘most powerful’ warship in the world, is expected to take place in Alaska in May or June 2026. The process is currently being coordinated with the Prospective Commanding Officer and the crew, which have already visited and toured various sites across Alaska.

The decision on a precise location where the boat will be commissioned is still being decided but is expected to be chosen in November.

“It just brings the entire state together to have a ship named after a name sake like Senator Stevens,” Curry said.

Curry described the ship as being the newest destroyer, which is 90 percent completed, as of last check.

The commission and foundation are separate non-profits, but both aim to preserve the legacy of Former U.S. Senator Ted Stevens.

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