WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th November, 2018) The newest addition to the US fleet of expeditionary fast transport warships, the Puerto Rico, will be christened at 10 a.m. on Saturday at the Austal USA shipyard in the state of Alabama, the US Navy said in a press release on Thursday.
"The principal speaker is Congresswoman Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico," the release said. "Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, will serve as the ship's sponsor."
Sotomayor will christen the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow.
The US Navy noted that the Puerto Rico is the 11th expeditionary fast transport in its fleet.
The expeditionary fast transport class ships are designed to transport 600 short tons of military cargo 1,200 nautical miles at an average speed of 35 knots, the release explained.
The ships are capable of operating in shallow-draft ports and waterways with a depth of less than 15 feet, interfacing with roll-on/roll-off discharge facilities, and on/off-loading a combat-loaded Abrams main battle tank (M1A2), the release said.
