Tag: Fleet forward

Posted on

Delivery of USNS John Canley

Expeditionary sea base USNS John L. Canley (ESB-6), Military Sealift Command’s newest ship, at its christening ceremony at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego, Calif.

The US Navy has taken delivery of USNS John L. Canley (ESB 6), an ESB-class ship designed for various military operations such as Airborne Mine Counter Measures, Special Operations Force operations, Crisis Response Sea-basing, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance, and Unmanned Aviation Systems operations. The ESB-class ships have a flight deck capable of supporting MH-53E helicopters, accommodations, workspaces, and ordnance storage for embarked forces, and enhanced command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence. The ship is part of the critical access infrastructure that supports the deployment of forces. The future USS Robert E. Simanek (ESB 7) is currently under construction at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego.

Posted on

US Navy has taken delivery of its fourth Lewis B Puller-class expeditionary

The US Navy has taken delivery of its fourth Lewis B Puller-class expeditionary sea base (ESB) ship, USNS John L Canley. The ship was handed over to the Navy during a ceremony at General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company’s (GD-NASSCO) shipyard in San Diego. The ESB ships are designed to act as critical infrastructure to support equipment supply and deployment of forces at sea. The highly flexible vessels can perform a wide range of military operations, including Special Operations Force missions, crisis response sea-basing, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations. The new ship is named in honour of former US Marine Corps gunnery sergeant John L Canley.

General Dynamics NASSCO has been designing and building ships in San Diego’s industrial corridor since 1960 and is the only full-service shipyard on the West Coast of the United States.

Today, General Dynamics NASSCO has locations on both the West and East Coasts. The company specializes in the design and construction of auxiliary and support ships for the U.S. Navy and oil tankers and dry cargo carriers for commercial markets. It is also a major provider of repair services for the U.S. Navy’s global force for good, with capabilities in San Diego, Norfolk, Mayport, and Bremerton.

General Dynamics NASSCO is one of three shipyards in the Marine Systems group of General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE: GD). General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, is a market leader in business aviation; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and information systems and technologies

8 East Harbor Drive
San Diego, CA 92113
Main: (619) 544-3400
Fax: (619) 544-3541

Posted on

Navy and Industry Collaborate – Challenges and Opportunities

Industry executives at the WEST 2023 conference have emphasized the need for earlier involvement in the requirements process in order to overcome challenges faced by industry when delivering capabilities to warfighters. Setting unrealistic expectations for requirements leads to poor communication between industry partners and the military, which can be addressed by involving industry experts in the requirements-setting process. Additionally, industry representatives stressed the importance of a steady demand signal and shared commitment to speed in the contracting process, as well as the need for improved training to ensure successful integration between industry-delivered hardware and software capabilities and the sailors operating them. These comments follow criticism from Navy officials in January about the need for shipbuilders to do more with what they already have.

Posted on

USNS Cody, EPF Vessel Christened

Austal USA has christened the USNS Cody, its 14th Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) vessel and the first EPF Flight II. The ceremony was attended by Navy leaders, elected officials, and ship sponsor Averil D. Spencer. The EPF Flight II provides an expanded medical capability, including a basic secondary health care facility, an intensive care unit, and limited x-ray, laboratory, and dental support. The catamaran design of the EPF provides stability for onboard medical procedures, and enhanced capabilities support V-22 flight operations and the launch and recovery of 11-meter Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats. Austal USA has two more EPF Flight II ships under construction and a third under contract.

The vision of Austal USA, located in Mobile, Alabama, was realized in 1999 for the purpose of reaching the ever increasing commercial and defense aluminum vessel market in the United States. Our shipbuilding facility occupies 164 acres on the eastern shore of the Mobile River and is strategically positioned at the mouth of the Gulf of Mexico.

Austal USA

100 Austal Way
Mobile, Alabama 36602
(251) 434-8000

Posted on

Autonomous Navy Ship Delivered

Americans for a Sronger Navy Reporting

The sun was shining over the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, as the Expeditionary Fast Transport USNS Apalachicola (EPF 13) was handed over to the U.S. Navy. This was a significant moment for Austal USA, as the ship was not only the second Navy vessel to be named after the coastal Florida city, but also the largest surface ship in the Navy fleet with autonomous capability.

The ship had undergone several months of testing, during which Austal USA and their partners, L3Harris and General Dynamics Mission Systems, analyzed not only its typical ship systems, but also those resulting from the autonomous design and construction contract modifications required by the Navy to establish EPF 13 as an autonomous prototype.

Austal USA President Rusty Murdaugh was proud of his team of shipbuilders and the innovative capabilities they had delivered with this ship. The EPF 13 had the ability to conduct V-22 flight operations and launch and recover 11-meter Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIBs), making it an ideal candidate for large vessel autonomous operations, including logistics, tendering, and adjunct magazine mission profiles.

The ship’s machinery control system (MCS) was fundamental to the autonomy effort, enabling the ship to be minimally manned by centralizing machinery operations to the bridge. Additionally, the ship was equipped with automated maintenance, health monitoring, and mission readiness systems, providing the capability to conduct up to 30 days of operation without human intervention.

EPF 13 was also the first Expeditionary Fast Transport vessel to be delivered to the Navy with enhanced capabilities to support V-22 flight operations and launch and recover 11-meter RHIBs. These upgrades, combined with the EPF’s speed, maneuverability, and shallow water access, were key enablers for supporting future Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations around the world.

Austal USA’s work on autonomous vessel capability has been identified as an area of strategic importance by the Navy. The company is partnering with L3Harris on the MCS upgrade of Overlord vessel, Mariner (OUSV 3), and construction of Vanguard (OUSV 4), as well as with Saildrone, Inc. on the manufacture of Surveyor unmanned surface vehicles. The investments from academia in uncrewed technology, combined with Austal USA’s efforts, are quickly making south Alabama the epicenter of autonomous naval architecture.

The delivery of EPF 13 was a proud moment for Austal USA, and it marked a significant step forward in the Navy’s autonomous capabilities. With this ship’s advanced features, the Navy’s ability to conduct missions and operations around the world will be greatly enhanced.