Photo By Sarah Cannon | Jane Ginsburg, USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg (T-AO 112) sponsor, welds her initials onto...... read more read more
Employees of Military Sealift Command Pacific (MSCPAC) and General Dynamics NASSCO of San Diego celebrated the keel certification of MSC’s newest ship, fleet replenishment oiler USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg (T-AO 212) at the NASSCO shipyard San Diego today.
The time-honored tradition of the keel laying/certification marks the official start of construction of the ship. Part of the tradition included the ship’s sponsor, Jane Ginsburg, daughter of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, welding her initials into the keel plate of the new ship. The steel plate with her initials will be permanently affixed to the ship’s keel, remaining with the vessel through its time in service.
“Jane, your presence here is a tribute to your mother’s enduring legacy,” said Mai Hansen, NASSCO T-AO program manager. “As you weld you initials onto the keel, you leave a lasting mark, just as your mother left an indelible mark on our nation and on the world.”
The ship honors Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an American lawyer and jurist who served as anassociate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 untilher death in 2020. Ginsburg was the second woman to serve on the Court, afterSandra Day O'Connor. Known for her work to eliminate gender discrimination and women’s rights, one of Ginsburg's most noted opinions came in the landmark 1996 case that struck down a male-only admissions policy at the Virginia Military Institute.
“The USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg will carry her name across the seas, as a living testimony to justice, equality and fairness,” said Hansen. “It will support our Navy’s fighting missions and will serve as a reminder of the power of determination and service to a higher purpose.
The 746-foot Ginsburg is the eighth ship of the John Lewis fleet replenishment oiler class. The ship has the ability to carry 162,000 barrels of diesel ship fuel, aviation fuel and dry stores cargo. The entire class is built with double hulls to protect against oil spills and strengthened cargo and ballast tanks. The Lewis-class of oilers will replace the current Kaiser Class fleet replenishment oilers as they age out of the MSC fleet.
In addition to Ginsburg, eight more Lewis-class oilers are on order for the Navy. In July 2016, USSecretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus that he would name theLewis-class oilers after prominentcivil rights activists and leaders. On March 31, 2022, then Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro, who attended today’s ceremony announced the name of T-AO 112 in honor of Ginsburg.
“It was the honor of my lifetime to name this ship the Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” said Del Toro. “Definitely one of the highlights of my time as Secretary of the Navy.”
MSC directs and supports operations for approximately 140 civilian-crewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy ships at sea, conduct specialized missions, preposition combat cargo at sea around the world, perform a variety of support services, and move military equipment and supplies to deployed U.S. forces.
| Date Taken: | 02.13.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 02.13.2026 22:32 |
| Story ID: | 558167 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 21 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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