SECNAV Del Toro Delivers Remarks at the USS Constellation (FFG 62) Keel Laying

Good morning, everyone! It is wonderful to be here with you at Fincantieri’s Marinette Marine Shipyard in Wisconsin.

Today is a special day for our Fleet, and indeed our Nation, as we take the next step in the construction of the future USS Constellation (FFG 62) with this keel laying ceremony.

Governor Evers, thank you for your leadership of this great state.  I deeply value our enduring partnership with you and Secretary Pechacek as the citizens of Wisconsin build the warships our Navy needs to execute its missions around the globe.

I would also like to welcome the leaders from the great state of Michigan who are here with us this morning—the Adjutant General of Michigan, Major General Rogers; the CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Mr. Messer; and the Director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Ms. Corbin.

Michigan and Wisconsin share more than a border—they share a workforce.  As we think regionally about how to grow a shipbuilding talent pipeline, I look forward to working with the leaders of both states to find innovative ways in developing the shipbuilding workforce and resilient supply chains that will provide critical support to our Fleet in the decades to come.

Admiral Franchetti, thank you for joining us this morning, for your leadership of our Navy, and for sharing your insights into the pivotal role USS Constellation will play in America’s Warfighting Navy throughout her time in service.

I would also like to extend a warm welcome to my predecessor, the 77th Secretary of the Navy Kenneth Braithwaite, who is with us this morning.  Thank you, Mr. Secretary, for your thoughtful approach to naming this class of warships and for choosing to honor the former USS Constellations that have served our nation with honor and distinction over the past 248 years.

And I would like to recognize Secretary Braithwaite’s wife, Melissa, who is the ship’s sponsor for USS Constellation.  A ship’s sponsor is an important role in our naval heritage, and I have no doubt you will do an incredible job serving as the bond between this ship, her crew, and the nation they serve.

Finally, to our industry partners, led by Fincantieri, and to our Sailors here at the shipyard, thank you.  Thank you for the work you are about to embark on to bring this ship to life, adding another capable, lethal platform to our Fleet.

USS Constellation and the Constellation-class frigates are a critical next step in the modernization of our surface ship inventory, increasing the number of “players on the field” available globally for our Fleet and Combatant Commanders.

As recent events in the Red Sea and Indo-Pacific have shown, our ships, submarines, aircraft, Sailors, and Marines are in high-demand by our national decision makers.

Every day, nearly a third of our Fleet is deployed, with another fifth underway conducting training and operations to prepare for deployment.

Our Sailors and Marines operate around the globe in austere environments, oftentimes alongside our international allies and partners, deterring adversaries, and standing ready to prevail in combat if called upon to do so.

At the heart of it, our people are our greatest strength.  And when I say “our people,” that doesn’t just mean our Sailors and Marines in uniform. 

It includes our Department of the Navy civilians who work tirelessly alongside their uniformed counterparts, often in the same deployed or forward-stationed environments.

It includes the talented scientists, engineers, and researchers at our Nation’s universities and colleges developing the transformational technologies of tomorrow which have dual-use cases to provide our Fleet and our Force with warfighting advantages.

And here in Wisconsin, it includes our skilled tradesmen and women who have chosen to make shipbuilding their profession.

Providing for and maintaining a ready, capable, and lethal Navy and Marine Corps is not just a Department of the Navy effort—it is indeed a whole-of-country effort.

When I called for a re-imagining of our national approach to maritime statecraft, centered around rebuilding our commercial and naval power, I highlighted the need for men and women across our country to become more involved in our shipbuilding industry.

Today’s ceremony is reflective of that. This yard is teeming with activity—Americans from all walks of life coming together to build warships in a demonstration of our industrial might and showcasing the talents of the skilled workforce that our nation must expand during this critical period in our world’s history.

It takes a nation to build a Navy, and the collaboration between industry and our Department that is on display at this shipyard symbolizes the teamwork required to do so.

I am committed to restoring the shipbuilding might our nation once had—both commercial and naval—and to ensuring that we get our major shipbuilding programs back on track—on-time and on-budget.

I look forward to working with all of our stakeholders across industry, government, and academia to increase our nation’s capacity and capability to build, maintain, and modernize the Fleet our nation requires to confront the challenges of today and, if called upon, prevail in combat.

Again, it is an honor to be with you this morning as we mark this special milestone in the construction of the future USS Constellation.

May God continue to grace our Nation with fair winds and following seas.