Image of ESB vessel USS Miguel Keith (ESB-5) supporting US Marine Corps during a visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) exercise. Credit: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Desmond Parks.

The US Navy has taken the delivery of its fourth Lewis B Puller-class expeditionary sea base (ESB) ship, named USNS John L Canley (ESB 6).

The new vessel was handed over to the US Navy during a special signing ceremony at General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company’s (GD-NASSCO) shipyard in San Diego on 1 March.

Programme Executive Office, Ships Strategic and Theatre Sealift programme manager Tim Roberts said: “Today’s delivery highlights the strengths of the navy and our industry partners, working together to bring ESB 6 and its range of capabilities to the fleet.

“Sergeant Major Canley nobly served his country, and his namesake ship will help provide the warfighters with capability and access.”

GD-NASSCO began construction of the ESB 6 vessel in June 2020.

Christened in June last year, the new ship has been named to honour the former US Marine Corps (USMC) gunnery sergeant John L Canley.

The ESB platforms have been designed to act as a critical infrastructure to support the equipment supply and deployment of forces at the sea.

All vessels of this class are highly flexible and can be deployed to perform a wide range of military operations, such as Special Operations Force missions, airborne mine countermeasures, crisis response sea-basing, uncrewed aviation systems as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations.

Besides, the ESB ships can support MH-53E maritime helicopters on its flight deck that has four aviation operating spots.

The platforms feature a reconfigurable mission deck area, improved workspaces, including accommodations and ordnance storage space for onboard forces.

Currently, the company is working on the construction of the next ESB vessel of the same class, named USS Robert E Simanek (ESB 7).

Work on ESB 7 commenced in December 2021.