Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro has announced that the US Navy will name a replenishment oiler now on order in honor of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The new ship will be the eighth of the John Lewis Class and will be referred to as the USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

“As we close out women’s history month, it is my absolute honor to name the next T-AO after the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She is a historic figure who vigorously advocated for women’s rights and gender equality,” Del Toro announced.

“As Secretary of the Navy, it is my aim to ensure equality and eliminate gender discrimination across the Department of the Navy,” he continued, adding that Ginsburg was “instrumental to why we now have women of all backgrounds, experiences and talents serving within our ranks, side by side with their male Sailor and Marine counterparts.”

Replenishment oilers (T-AO) were conventionally named for rivers. The John Lewis Class is an exception. The Navy decided that the ships of the new class would be named after prominent civil rights activists and leaders. The other ships of the class will include USNS John Lewis, USNS Harvey Milk, USNS Earl Warren, USNS Robert F. Kennedy, USNS Lucy Stone, USNS Sojourner Truth, and USNS Thurgood Marshall.