Navy
Future USS Ted Stevens arrives at its homeport for the first time
Stars and Stripes
May 15, 2026
The newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, the future USS Ted Stevens, arrives at Naval Station Norfolk, Va., on Friday May 15, 2026. (Sophie A. Pinkham/U.S. Navy)
The future USS Ted Stevens, a Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, arrived Friday at its homeport of Naval Station Norfolk, Va., for the first time, according to a service news release.
The arrival begins the ship’s transition from construction to the operational phase of testing and integration with the Navy fleet. The ship’s commissioning ceremony will be held in Whittier, Alaska; a date has not been set.
The destroyer is named for U.S. Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, a decorated World War II Army Air Corps veteran. Senator Stevens was a noted advocate for national security and military readiness during his 40 years in the Senate. This is the first U.S. Navy warship to bear his name.
Norfolk Naval Station will be busy this weekend: The USS Gerald R. Ford and its carrier group arrive on Saturday after a record-breaking deployment.