U.S. Navy support ship Point Loma christened in Alabama

Aug. 10 (UPI) -- Austal USA on Saturday officially christened the Point Loma, a U.S. Navy support ship.

The ship is named after a peninsula in San Diego, Calif., not far from Naval Amphibious Base Coronado.

The Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport Flight II ship is the second of three to be built by Astral, which is based on Blakeley Island in Mobile, Ala.

The USNS Point Loma was christened by Elizabeth Asher, who lived for a long time in the California neighborhood with her husband, a retired U.S. Navy doctor.

"The ship is named in honor of the community of Point Loma and its decades-long relationship with the Navy, beginning with the establishment of the Naval Coaling Station, La Playa, in 1901, and later the Naval Supply Center San Diego in 1943," the U.S. Department of Defense said in a statement.

The ship's keel was authenticated in June 2023.

The EPF ships are designed to act as a fast transport but can also function with enhanced medical capability or both. They are able to care for up to 147 medical patients and are equipped with two operating rooms.

All USNS vessels are non-commissioned ships owned by the U.S. Navy but operated by a civilian crew under Military Sealift Command .

The Flight II EPFs will also carry the U.S. Navy's 11M Rigid Inflatable Boat and are able to land the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey , which has both vertical and short takeoff and landing capabilities.

"Austal USA was excited to see Mrs. Asher christen the second Flight II EPF for our great Navy today. These Flight II Expeditionary Fast Transports combine the best of the EPF's transport mission with a new enhanced medical capability that will bring lifesaving support to our forward deployed sailors and Marines and will be a sign of America's humanitarian presence and support throughout the world's global commons," Austal USA president Michelle Kruger said during the christening ceremony.

"These ships are built by an incredible team of men and women who remain steadfast in their commitment to being the absolute best in the industry by providing the most cost-effective and capable ships to our great Navy."

The Point Loma's sister ship, the USNS Cody, was also built by Austal and was accepted into Military Sealift Command in January, becoming the first Flight II variant of the ships with enhanced medical capabilities.

Another ship bearing the community's name was decommissioned in 1993.