BATH, Maine — Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, Gov. Janet Mills and Maine's Congressional delegation are expected to speak Saturday as Bath Iron Works christens its newest destroyer, the future USS Carl M. Levin.
The ceremony, which is only open to invited guests due to COVID-19, is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.
Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, will be the featured speaker. Reed serves as Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a senior member of the Appropriations Committee.
Del Toro and Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. William Lescher will also speak, as will Gov. Janet Mills and members of Maine's Congressional delegation.
The destroyer was launched on May 16. Sea trial will take place in early 2022, according to BIW. Its home port will be Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
The guided-missile destroyer, the 38th built at BIW, is named for the longest-serving senator in Michigan history. Levin, who retired in 2015, was chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The ship's sponsors are Levin's daughters, Kate Levin Markel, Laura Levin, and Erica Levin.
