General Dynamics NASSCO has successfully delivered the USNS John L. Canley (ESB 6) to the US Navy on March 1, boosting the Navy's operational reach.
It marks the fourth vessel in the reclassified Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) program.
ESB-class ships can facilitate a wide range of military operations, including Airborne Mine Counter Measures (AMCM) and Special Operations Force (SOF) missions.
They are also capable of performing Crisis Response Sea-basing, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) and Unmanned Aviation Systems (UAS) operations.
It is designed with a flight deck equipped with four aviation operating spots that can support MH-53E helicopters.
Another key feature of the ESB ship class is the reconfigurable mission deck area, which can be adapted to store equipment such as mine sleds and Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIBs).
In addition to the USNS John L. Canley, NASSCO is also currently constructing the USS Robert E. Simanek (ESB-7), for which the keel was laid in October.