The U.S. Navy took delivery of its newest Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) ship, the future USS Robert E. Simanek (ESB 7), named after the Korean war hero.
The addition to the fleet marks a significant enhancement in the Navy’s maritime “sea base” capabilities.
Named after Private First Class Robert Ernest Simanek, a Korean War hero awarded the Medal of Honor, the ship pays tribute to his valor. Simanek received the nation’s highest military decoration from President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953 for shielding fellow Marines from a grenade during the Battle of Bunker Hill.
“From christening in May 2024 to delivery, it has been an exciting time for those who spend each day preparing this ship to support our fleet. The ESB ship class is a highly flexible platform used across various military operations,” said Tim Roberts, Strategic and Theater Sealift program manager at Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships.
At 785 feet in length and 90,000 tons fully loaded, the ESB ships, a variant of the mobile landing platform, are designed to support a wide range of maritime missions. These include air mine countermeasures, special warfare operations, counter-piracy efforts, maritime security, and humanitarian and disaster relief. The platform also supports various rotary-wing aircraft. The vessels boast a four-spot flight deck that can accommodate V-22 Osprey aircraft, complemented by mission decks and hangars.
The ESB ships were initially called the Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) and the MLP Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB), respectively. However, in August 2017, upon arrival in the U.S. 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility, ESB 3, USS Lewis B. Puller, was re-designated from USNS and commissioned as a USS.
The delivery of the USS Robert E. Simanek by General Dynamics NASSCO represents the ongoing modernization of the U.S. Navy’s fleet. Previous ships in the ESB class include the USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB 3), USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4), USS Miguel Keith (ESB 5), and USS John L. Canley (ESB 6).
With the USS Hector A. Cafferata Jr. (ESB 8) already under construction, the Navy continues to expand its ESB fleet.
SINGAPORE, Sept 17 (Reuters) – The United States is amassing an arsenal of abundant and easily made anti-ship weapons as part of American efforts to deter China in the Indo-Pacific region and gear up...
The U.S. Coast Guard reported a significant maritime encounter on Sunday, locating four Russian Federation Navy (RFN) vessels approximately 57 miles northwest of Point Hope, Alaska. The incident occurred during...
The U.S. Navy commissioned its newest fast-attack Virginia-class submarine, USS New Jersey (SSN 796), in a ceremony held Saturday at Naval Weapons Station Earle in Middletown, New Jersey. The vessel...
September 16, 2024
Total Views: 3829
Why Join the gCaptain Club?
Access exclusive insights, engage in vibrant discussions, and gain perspectives from our CEO.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.