SAN DEIGO, CA.  The keel laying ceremony for the future USNS Harriet Tubman (T-AO-213) — the ninth ship in the U.S. Navy’s John Lewis-class fleet replenishment oiler program — took place on June 18, 2026 at General Dynamics NASSCO’s shipyard in San Diego .

The event was attended by Ernestine “Tina” Martin Wyatt, the three-time great-grandniece of Harriet Tubman, who served as the ship’s sponsor. She welded her initials onto a steel plate that will become part of the vessel’s structure, symbolically linking her family’s legacy to the ship’s foundation.

Picture and text contributed by NASSCO