New US Navy expeditionary ship commissioned
Expeditionary Sea Base USS John L. Canley (ESB 6) arrived at Naval Air Station North Island on 9 February, eight days before it was commissioned. (Photo: USN)
The US Navy's Expeditionary Sea Base (T-ESB) programme was created as a derivative of the Montford Point-class Expeditionary Transfer Docks, also built by General Dynamics NASSCO.
The fourth Lewis B Puller-class Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) sealift replenishment vessel, the USS John L Canley (ESB 6), was commissioned on 17 February.
Built by General Dynamics NASSCO, six ships have so far been delivered across two variants: two Expeditionary Transfer Dock (ESD) and six ESB with the final two of the latter, Robert E Simanek (ESB 7) and Hector A Cafferata Jr (ESB 8), under construction.
The vessel has become the navy’s fourth ESB, with the others being USS Lewis B Puller (ESB-3), USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB-4) and USS Miguel Keith (ESB-5).
The ships support a variety of maritime-based missions including Special Operations Forces and Airborne Mine Counter Measures. The ships have a four-spot flight deck, mission deck and hangar, and have been designed around four core capabilities: aviation facilities, berthing, equipment staging support, and command and control assets.
Shephard Defence Insight noted that the ESBs have a full load displacement of 90,000t, measure 239.3m in length, have a beam of 50m and a draft of 10.5m.
Powered by a commercial diesel-electric propulsion system, the vessels have a top speed of 15kt and a range of 9,500nm with 34 Military Sealift Command personnel.
The design features fuel and equipment storage, repair spaces, magazines, mission planning spaces and accommodation for up to 250 personnel. It can support MH-53 and MH-60 helicopters and MV-22 tilt rotors.
The ESBs have been equipped with a Mk-105 magnetic influence minesweeping sled, AN/AQS-24A mine hunting sonar system, AN/ASQ-232 airborne mine neutralisation system and the Mk-103 mechanical mine, Mk-104 acoustic mine and AN/SPU-1W magnetic minesweeping systems.
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