
Construction of the future USS Robert E. Simanek (ESB-7) Lewis B. Puller-class Expeditionary Sea Base ship began with a ceremony on Dec. 1 at General Dynamics’ National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) [GD] in San Diego. ESBs are modular ships that support missions like special operations, airborne mine counter-measures, and humanitarian support. They have a four spot flight deck, hangar and flexible mission deck. The ship is designed around four major capacities including aviation facilities, berthing, equipment staging support and…