Photo: Fox News interviews the Secretary of Navy with the USS Alabama battleship in the background.
COMMENTARY
By Troy Turner
Alabama remains on a fast-track in climbing the ranks as one of the top states contributing to national security, and it didn’t take long in 2026 for it to start grabbing headlines in the new year, including with high-profile visits.
Two major stories continue to develop with ongoing national interest in the state, catching the eye of international observers as well: the announced move of U.S. Space Command’s headquarters from Colorado Springs to Huntsville; and Alabama’s return as a major player in shipbuilding and service contracts for the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard.
SPACECOM makes the rounds
Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of Space Command (SPACECOM), has continued to make the rounds in Alabama with state and local leaders, including in Montgomery on Wednesday (Jan. 7) with Gov. Kay Ivey. It was but one of dozens of such in-state meetings Whiting has attended in recent months while trying to build new partnerships for important roles over the next five years.
That’s how long early estimates say it will take for SPACECOM’s transitional move to be complete, as its bigger priority remains the day-to-day mission of ensuring the U.S. military’s offensive and defensive operations and other American interests in space are well secured.
Meanwhile on the ground, thousands of military and civilian personnel will be involved in the relocation efforts and establishing the infrastructure needed for SPACECOM in Alabama. That includes not only a well-qualified workforce ranging from welders to engineers, but also roads, healthcare, housing and utilities such as a dependable and high-demand electrical power supply.
Federal money will help pay for much of that, but there is plenty that will fall to state legislators, mayors and governors in the region.
Whiting and his team are doing a good job of including all of this on the duty sheet. Making the personal connections to the movers-and-shakers in Alabama and the Tennessee Valley Region is as necessary as doing so with the industry and research leaders who build America’s missiles, rockets and satellite infrastructure in space; or with the generals and admirals who command them.
Welcome, SPACECOM, to Alabama.
Hello, America, from the USS Alabama
Secretary of the Navy John Phelan on Wednesday (Jan. 7) sat down with Fox News anchor Bret Baier in Mobile for an interview filmed at the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park. The segment was broadcast nationally during the network’s evening newscast, bringing viewers from around the world to Alabama’s port city.
Although the primary focus on his agenda was to tout the “Golden Fleet” concept being promoted by the White House, the real spotlight was on shipbuilding, with Gulf Coast shipbuilders and service providers playing a key role.
Austal USA and American Shipyard Inc., both in Mobile; and HII/Ingalls Shipyard in nearby Pascagoula, Mississippi, with more than 2,000 workers commuting from Alabama, provide not only employment to thousands of workers but also a critical contribution to the rebuild of the U.S Navy Fleet.
Those aren’t the only companies contributing to the effort, as dozens of smaller operations and suppliers also contribute.
While companies such as defense industry giants Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing and other well-known names topped the charts as the leading contractors bringing military deals to Alabama, with most of that coming in space and missile defense work headquartered in Huntsville, it was shipbuilder Austal USA that was No. 1 in FY2024, the most recent year of statistics.
The company garnered more than $1 billion in Navy and Coast Guard contracts that year, with Alabama as a whole bringing more than $17 billion and ranking as the No. 9 state attracting defense spending.
All of those numbers are sure to go up in FY2025-26 figures and beyond, as the U.S. government looks determined to continue its pitch for faster and more shipbuilding, and certainly with Alabama’s impressive and crucial space and missile defense industry, which includes NASA.
From deep-sea submarines to deep-space satellites, Alabama is in the thick of almost every facet of American defense industry.
Meanwhile, welcome, Navy Secretary Phelan, to Alabama.
Another new ship made in Alabama
Phelan, however, wasn’t the only big Navy name to visit Alabama last week.
Saturday (Jan. 10), Austal USA put out the welcome mat again for the christening ceremony of the future USNS Lansing, named for the capital city of Michigan.
The christening event featured two sponsors who christened the ship: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who some consider a potential future presidential candidate, and Congresswoman Lisa McClain.
Speakers included Navy Under Secretary Hung Cao; Rear Admiral Benjamin Nicholson, commander, Military Sealift Command; Vice Admiral Seiko Okano, principal military deputy to the assistant secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition; Michelle Kruger, Austal USA president; and Scott Bonk, director, Future Combatants & Mission Systems, General Dynamics Mission Systems.
The USNS Lansing will be a fast-transport ship capable of performing a variety of missions, including as a medical vessel.
The Expeditionary Fast Transport line of ships is one of several programs the Navy and Coast Guard have called on Austal USA to produce.
Reps. Strong, Rogers make news
Two Alabama congressmen also made headlines in a good way last week.
U.S. Rep. Dale Strong, who represents portions of the Huntsville area, announced a major milestone for north Alabama’s veteran community following the authorization of a $13.5 million federal grant for a new Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs veterans’ cemetery in Madison County.
“When the nation called, our veterans answered, and this new state VA cemetery in north Alabama will make good on our promise to honor their service forever,” Strong said in a press statement. “For too long, families in north Alabama have had to travel long distances to lay their loved ones to rest. This investment delivers meaningful access, dignity, and peace of mind for those who have sacrificed so much for our country.”
North Alabama is home to more than 42,700 veterans who live outside the 75-mile service radius of an existing state or national VA cemetery. The new facility will help close that gap and is expected to support more than 10,000 interments over the next decade and serve the region for roughly two centuries.
Also last week, the Air Force Historical Foundation shared that it is honoring Rep. Mike Rogers with its Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond Award for his contributions in the creation of the U.S. Space Force.
Rogers, who has served in the House of Representatives since 2003 and became chairman of the House Armed Services Committee in 2023, was one of the earliest and strongest advocates in Congress for the creation of a new military branch, the United States Space Force, which began service in 2019.
He began his advocacy of Space Force while working in House subcommittees, and when President Donald Trump began his first term in 2017, Rogers along with other ardent supporters worked closely with the White House to fast-track the new military branch.
Stuart Pettis, the Foundation’s vice chair for space, praised Rogers for his history-making influence.
“I don’t believe it is possible to overstate Congressman Rogers’ role in the standup of the Space Force. He was laser-focused on the threat and saw that the Air Force had too much on its plate to give the threat the attention it needed,” Pettis told AlaDefense.com. “He saw the need for a separate service and provided the Congressional leadership to see that vision through.
“Over the past year, the Air Force Historical Foundation interviewed several senior leaders involved in the standup of the Space Force, and all commented on Congressman Rogers’ pivotal role in creating the new service.”
Look for 2026 to be another busy, news-making year for Alabama’s military and defense industry communities.
Troy Turner is the editor and senior consultant for AlaDefense.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. His bio can be found here.
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