Readout of Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks' Trip to Baltimore, Md.

Pentagon Spokesman Eric Pahon provided the following readout:

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks traveled to Baltimore, Md., today for a ship naming ceremony.

During her visit, Deputy Secretary Hicks delivered remarks aboard the USS Constellation after Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro announced that the future Virginia-class Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarine SSN 812 will be named USS Baltimore.

Deputy Secretary Hicks will serve as the ship's sponsor. In her role as sponsor, she will represent a lifelong relationship with the ship and crew. The crew of the ship may change many times over the course of a ship's life, but the sponsor remains the same.

The future USS Baltimore honors the city of Baltimore, the crews of one Continental Navy ship, and the five previous Navy vessels named Baltimore.

The naming selection of the future USS Baltimore (SSN 812) continues the recent trend of naming Virginia-class submarines after cities. Previous submarines were named USS Long Island (SSN 809), USS San Francisco (SSN 810), and USS Miami (SSN 811).

The city of Baltimore has significant ties to American and Naval history. The Port of Baltimore was established in 1706 and the Town of Baltimore in 1729. One of the Navy's six founding frigates, USS Constellation, was built in Baltimore, and the city's skilled ship workers later would construct the famous Baltimore clipper ships. In 1814, the Battle of Baltimore inspired the American national anthem.