PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — The Secretary of the Navy was in Portsmouth Wednesday to announce the name of a future medical ship.    The ship, which is set to be built, will be known as USNS Portsmouth. It is one of three Bethesda-class expeditionary medical ships and follows the tradition of being named after military hospitals.   It’s named to honor the legacy of the Navy doctors, nurses, corpsmen and staff of Naval Medical Center Portsmouth.    A ship naming ceremony took place at the hospital Wednesday. "It's a great honor to be able to name this ship in honor of this great Naval hospital,” said Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro.   The future ship will include features like a flight deck, three operating rooms and a blood bank.  Del Toro said it will be similar to hospital ships such as the USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort, but is able to go to more places because of its size.   "This will deploy with a smaller contingent of medical professionals that actually will be able to go all around the globe into places that are even shallower," Del Toro said. “So, they'll be able to get into cities and towns all over the world that the bigger ships can't get into and provide the valuable services to our allies and partners all around the world.”   It will also be the fifth Navy vessel named Portsmouth.   "There is nothing that brings more pride to me than to see this ship named USNS Portsmouth for all the great work that this hospital has done,” said Rear Admiral Darin K. Via, surgeon general/chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.   Via’s wife, Terri Ann, was hand-selected to be its sponsor to advocate for the ship and its crew.   "I am committed to upholding the values of service, courage and compassion that define both the Navy and Navy Medical Center Portsmouth," Terri Ann Via said. "I look forward to sharing in this adventures, triumphs and challenges that lies ahead for the ship and crew." Del Toro said the ship will take three to four years to complete and will likely be built in Alabama.