Mobile Sea News

San Diego shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO delivered the future USS Robert E. Simanek (ESB 7) to the U.S. Navy, on September 12.The Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary mobile base ship is named for Private First Class Robert Ernest Simanek, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for shielding fellow Marines from a grenade at the Battle of Bunker Hill during the Korean War. The Medal of Honor was presented to him by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in a White House ceremony in 1953.“From christening in May 2024 to delivery…

The Spaceport Company (TSC) has been awarded a contract by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), an office within the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), to deliver cargo and enable greater access to space by leveraging a unique, seagoing mobile space launch complex. This prototype is intended to demonstrate delivery to a mission-designed orbit and test autonomy-like features of the sea launch vessel.The ability to rapidly re-constitute space-based capabilities or resupply time-sensitive cargo at precise locations on-orbit or terrestrially is a critical but presently under-developed capability…

San Diego shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO recently christened USNS Robert E. Simanek (ESB 7), the fifth ship for the U.S. Navy’s Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) program.The ESB ship class is a highly flexible platform designed to support multiple maritime-based missions. ESB ships are mobile sea-based assets and are a part of the critical access infrastructure that supports the deployment of forces, equipment, supplies, and warfighting capability. These 784-foot ships are configured with a 52…

Shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO, a subsidiary of aerospace and defense company General Dynamics (GD), announced on Friday that it received $1.4 billion in U.S. Navy contract modifications for construction of a sixth Expeditionary Sea Base ship (ESB 8) and two additional John Lewis-class fleet oilers (T-AO 211 and 212). This award comes in addition to $600 million already received to procure long-lead time materials for the same ships. The contract modification also provides an option for the Navy to procure an additional oiler…

San Diego shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO said it has been awarded $600 million in U.S. Navy contract modifications for long-lead-time material to support construction of the seventh and eighth ships in the John Lewis-class fleet oiler (T-AO) program, as well as the sixth ship in the Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) program.The contract modifications for long-lead-time material provide $500 million for T-AO 211 (Thurgood Marshall) and T-AO 212 (Ruth Bader Ginsburg), and $100 million…

General Dynamics NASSCO christened the USNS John L. Canley (ESB 6), the fourth ship for the U.S. Navy’s reclassified Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) program, on Saturday. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Michael E. Langley served as the principal speaker at the ceremony, in addition to remarks from NASSCO, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Marine Corps representatives. Following remarks, Patricia A. Sargent, the ship’s sponsor and daughter of the ship’s namesake, christened the ship with the traditional champagne bottle break alongside the hull.“Today, we celebrate and honor a true hero, Sgt. Maj. Canley.

San Diego shipyard General Dynamics NASSCO on Wednesday started construction on the future USS Robert E. Simanek (ESB 7), the fifth ship of the Navy’s reclassified Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) program.Long-time NASSCO employee Dennis DuBard served as the Start of Construction honoree, initiating the first cut of steel that will be used to construct the vessel.“Today, we start construction of the ship that honors the life and service of the ship’s namesake, Marine Corps Private First Class Robert E. Simanek,” said Dave Carver, president of General Dynamics NASSCO.

Wisconsin-based power solutions manufacturer Fairbanks Morse said it has delivered four FM 6L48/60CR engines to shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego for the newbuild USS John L. Canley (ESB 6). The ship is the sixth in the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command Expeditionary Transfer Dock (ESD)/Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) program and is designed to serve as a mobile sea base that provides access to critical infrastructure for the deployment of forces and supplies.The four FM 6L48/60CR engines are rated at 6,480 kW and will deliver a total of 25,920 kW of installed power.

Boat launch and recovery systems supplier Vestdavit said it will deliver motion-compensated davits to the US Navy, following orders placed by shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO to equip two Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) ships.The US shipbuilder’s San Diego yard will deliver ESB 6 and ESB 7, the latest in a series of ships which act as mobile sea bases to support mine countermeasure, counter-piracy, disaster-relief, crisis-response and other operations. Bergen-based Vestdavit in 2017 established Vestdavit Inc.

The U.S. Navy commissioned its newest Expeditionary Sea Base, USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4), during a ceremony Saturday, March 7, in Norfolk, Va.USS Hershel “Woody” Williams is optimized to support a variety of maritime-based missions and designed around four core capabilities: aviation facilities, berthing, equipment staging support, and command and control assets. ESBs can be enhanced to meet special operations force missions through increased communications, aviation and unmanned aircraft system support.Built by General Dynamics NASSCO…

There will be a dead ship tow of the Dive Support Vessel UNCLE JOHN from the Mobile Sea Buoy to BAE Shipyard starting at approximately 0600 today. The 253 feet long, 173 feet wide rig will be towed by the tugs FINN FALGOUT and WILKEN FALGOUT with assist tugs provided by Crescent Towing. The UNCLE JOHN and the FINN FALGOUT will have bar pilots onboard for the entire operation and will be standing by on VHF/FM channels 13 and 16. The transit will be made in daylight hours and should take 7 to 9 hours, during which time one-way traffic will be necessary. For information about operations in the USA contact GAC USA at [email protected]

USNS Montford Point (MLP 1) departs San Diego  for Naval Station Everett, Wash. Montford Point is the Navy’s first mobile landing platform, delivered to the Navy in San Diego May 14 and expected to be fully operational in fiscal year 2015. The ship, crewed by 33 contract mariners working for a company under charter to Military Sealift Command, will perform system tests during the voyage to its temporary layberth. Montford Point is scheduled for final contract trials in September, with its core capability set installed later this year.

Offshore Inland Marine, Industrial, Oilfield Services (OIS) has expanded their U.S. Gulf and Mexico Services with two new facilities. OIS has opened a new deepwater repair and fabrication facility in Pensacola, Fla., positioned as a Marine, Subsea, and Drilling Support Base. OIS is now operating out of a full service, deepwater support base in Dos Bocas, Mexico which adds to their office in Del Carmen, Mexico. OIS has been very active with subsea and marine fabrication and offshore projects.

The Coast Guard completed the transfer of 17 stowaways to Immigration and Naturalization Service officials about 5:30 a.m. yesterday at the Alabama State Docks, after crewmembers aboard the motor vessel Scan Germania, a 416-ft. British-flagged cargo vessel, discovered them Saturday, on its journey from Dominican Republic to Mobile, Ala. Coast Guard Cutter Bonito relieved CGC Decisive of escort duties at the Mobile sea buoy and arrived at the State Docks at approximately 1:30 a.m on Tuesday. Eighteen boarding team members from the Bonito, Station Dauphin Island, CGC Cobia, CGC Stingray and Group Mobile maintained security aboard the Scan Germania while the Bonito escorted the vessel into port.