General Dynamics NASSCO, a business unit of General Dynamics, was awarded a contract from the U.S. Navy for newest expeditionary ships as part of Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) program.
The contract, announced by the Department of Defense, is worth more than $1.6 billion and covers the construction of the sixth and seventh ships of the ESB program, as well as an option for ESB 8. “We are pleased to be building ESB 6 and 7 for our Navy,” said Kevin Graney, president of General Dynamics NASSCO. “ESBs have proven to be affordable and flexible, and as the fleet has gained experience with the platform, we have worked with the Navy and Marines to develop even more capabilities and mission sets.”
General Dynamics’ ESB, formerly known as the Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) or Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB), is a highly flexible ship that offers logistics movement from sea to shore. ESB vessels are designed to support low-intensity missions, enabling more expensive, high-value amphibious warfare ships and surface combatant warships to be re-tasked for more demanding operational missions of the U.S. Navy. ESB ships operate as mobile sea bases, providing the Navy Fleet with a critical access infrastructure that supports the flexible deployment of forces and supplies, whenever necessary.
