USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB-3)

USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB-3), (formerly USNS Lewis B. Puller (T-ESB-3), and (T-MLP-3/T-AFSB-1) prior to that)[17][18] is the first purpose-built expeditionary mobile base vessel (previously classified as a mobile landing platform, and then as an afloat forward staging base) for the United States Navy, and the second ship to be named in honor of Chesty Puller. She is the lead ship of her class of expeditionary mobile bases and is also a sub-variant of the Montford Point-class expeditionary transfer docks.[19] Lewis B. Puller replaced USS Ponce (AFSB(I)-15) with the U.S. Fifth Fleet in the Persian Gulf in fall 2017.[1][5]

For other ships with the same name, see USS Lewis B. Puller.

USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB-3)
Lewis B. Puller departing for its first operational deployment in 2017
History
United States
NamesakeLewis B. Puller, Sr.[1][2]
AwardedFebruary 2012[3]
BuilderNASSCO – San Diego, California[1]
Cost$650 million[4]
Laid down5 November 2013[1][5]
Launched6 November 2014[6]
Sponsored byMartha Puller Downs[7]
Christened7 February 2015[7]
Acquired12 June 2015[8][9]
Commissioned17 August 2017[10]
Identification
MottoCourage, Leadership, Duty
Statusin active service[10]
Badge
General characteristics
DisplacementApprox. 90,000 long tons (100,000 short tons) fully loaded[11]
Length764 ft (233 m)[12][Note 1]
Beam164 ft (50 m)[13]
Draft25.5 ft (7.8 m)[13]
Installed powerDiesel-electric[13]
Propulsion
Speed15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)[1][13]
Range9,500 nautical miles (17,600 km; 10,900 mi)[1]
Boats & landing
craft carried		Accommodation barge (298 mission-related personnel max.)[3]
Complement19 officers, 231 enlisted[15]
Armament12 x .50 caliber machine gun stations[16]
Aircraft carriedUp to 4 CH-53 heavy-lift transport helicopters[Note 2]
Aviation facilitiesHelicopter landing deck and hangar[3]
NotesAfloat forward staging base variant[3]

Lewis B. Puller was commissioned on 17 August 2017 in Bahrain, with her prefix changing from USNS to USS and her hull designation changing from T-ESB-3 to ESB-3.[10]

Background
Main article: Expeditionary Transfer Dock

The Lewis B. Puller-class of expeditionary mobile base ships differ from the U.S. Navy's first two expeditionary transfer dock support vessels, USNS Montford Point (T-ESD-1) and USNS John Glenn (T-ESD-2). These two ships act as floating bases or transfer stations that can be positioned off the target area.[20] Lewis B. Puller and Hershel "Woody" Williams will serve as expeditionary mobile bases to support low-intensity missions. This allows more expensive, high-value amphibious warfare ships and surface combatant warships to be re-tasked for more demanding operational missions for the U.S. Navy.[3] These ESB variants are to operate in the Middle East and the Pacific Ocean.[12]

Lewis B. Puller was initially operated by the Military Sealift Command with the prefix "USNS" and a crew of Department of the Navy civilian mariners.[20] She replaced USS Ponce, the U.S. Navy's interim AFSB support ship.[3]

Namesake

Lewis B. Puller (ESB-3) is the second ship named after Marine Corps Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller. The first was USS Lewis B. Puller (FFG-23), an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate. A distinguished combat veteran of the Banana Wars, World War II and the Korean War, Puller is the most decorated individual in the history of the United States Marine Corps.[1][2]

Ship re-designation

On 4 September 2015, U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced a new ship designator: "E" for expeditionary support. Mobile Landing Platforms (MLPs) will be designated Expeditionary Transfer Docks, or ESDs; and the Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB) variant of the MLP will be called Expeditionary Mobile Bases, or ESBs. The new designation followed a 31 August 2015 memorandum sent to Mabus by Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert.[17]

Design features
A Sikorsky MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter lands on Lewis B. Puller's flight deck in June 2016

The design of Lewis B. Puller is based on the hull of the civilian Alaska-class oil tanker.[12] Lewis B. Puller can be outfitted with support facilities for her minesweeping, special operations, and other expeditionary missions. An accommodation barge can be carried to support up to 298 more people, including special-operations teams.[3][5]

Lewis B. Puller's flight deck has landing spots for four heavy-lift transport CH-53 helicopters, plus deck space for two more CH-53s. The ship has a helicopter hangar, an ordnance storage magazine, underway replenishment facilities, and deck space for mission-related equipment storage, including up to four Mk 105 minesweeping hydrofoil sleds.[3][5]

Artist's impression of USNS Lewis B. Puller (T-ESB-3).

GE Power Conversion will provide complete electric power, propulsion, and vessel automation systems for all ESB/ESD ships. This integrated power system (IPS) will also involve the ship's tandem propulsion motor powered by variable-frequency drives, harmonic filters, and high-voltage switchboards.[14]

Unlike the ESDs that lower the entire ship until their boat decks are awash, ESBs use cranes to raise and lower small boats of up to 11 metric tons (12 short tons) to the water from their mission deck.[21][22][23]

Lewis B. Puller is the first non-combatant ship equipped with the Navy's N-30 class passive fire protection system.[24]

Embarked aircraft
Marines load onto an MV-22 Osprey in the Persian Gulf in 2019

The ship is equipped to support United States Air Force CV-22s on special ops missions. Feasibility tests began in 2014[25] and the capability was added before the ship's 2017 maiden deployment.[26]

The testing and certification of MH-53E helicopters for minesweeping operations from ESB support ships began in fiscal year 2016.

The F-35B STOVL strike fighter does not fly from ESBs because its exhaust heat might damage the deck, Captain Henry Stevens, the head of NAVSEA's Strategic and Theater Sealift program, said on 16 January 2014.[25]

History

Construction
Post-launch (6 November 2014)

The United States Navy ordered T-ESB-3 in February 2012 as part of the Fiscal Year 2013 appropriation for the U.S. Department of Defense via the National Defense Sealift Fund (NDSF).[3]

The keel-laying ceremony for Lewis B. Puller took place at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego, California, on 5 November 2013. The keel of Lewis B. Puller was authenticated by Elizabeth Glueck, the wife of Lieutenant General Kenneth J. Glueck, Jr., the commanding general of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command.[1][12][27] Mrs. Glueck welded her initials onto a steel plate that will be permanently affixed to the ship, remaining a part of Lewis B. Puller throughout her service life.[27]

Lewis B. Puller was launched and floated-off at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard on 6 November 2014. The launching dock was slowly flooded with water until she could freely float by herself.[6] The ship was christened on 7 February 2015, and she was delivered on 12 June 2015.[9][28]

Lewis B. Puller set sail from San Diego to Norfolk via Cape Horn, arriving 13 October 2015 to begin her testing and evaluation phase. The ship is currently configured for minesweeping support but is also under consideration to support special operations forces (SOF) missions. Lewis B. Puller is slated to join the U.S. Fifth Fleet in the Persian Gulf in late 2016 or early 2017.[29]

On 14 January 2016, the Secretary of the Navy announced that Lewis B. Puller's sister-ship would be named Hershel "Woody" Williams during a ceremony in Charleston, West Virginia.[30] USS Hershel "Woody" Williams (ESB-4) was commissioned on 7 March 2020.

Deployment

On 10 July 2017, Lewis B. Puller left from Naval Station Norfolk for her first operational deployment to the U.S. 5th Fleet's area of operations. The ship will be permanently deployed overseas; maintenance, repairs and crew swaps will take place in theater.[31]

Commissioning

Lewis B. Puller was commissioned on 17 August 2017 at Khalifa bin Salman Port in Al Hidd, Bahrain, with her prefix changing from USNS to USS, becoming the first U.S.-built ship to be commissioned outside the United States. The change was required by the Law of Armed Conflict, which says that only a warship may do certain activities, such as mine-countermeasures and special operations staging. Her hull classification also changed from T-ESB-3 to ESB-3, indicating she was to be crewed by U.S. Navy sailors rather than civilian mariners.[10]

Operations

Lewis B. Puller trained with the America amphibious ready group (ARG), during Alligator Dagger 2017 to explore the potential of the ESB platform to support such operations.[32]

In November 2018, a detachment from Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 15 deployed on Lewis B. Puller for training.[33]

In March 2020, U.S. Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopters conducted deck landing qualifications with Lewis B. Puller. While conducting this exercise, on 15 April 2020, 11 Iranian patrol vessels started circling Lewis B. Puller and surrounding US Navy and Coast Guard vessels. The boats got within 50 yards (46 m) of the ship and would not leave despite repeated radio warnings and noise makers. The incident lasted for an hour until the Iranian vessels pulled away. Video of the incident was posted by the US Navy.[34][35]

At a Pentagon press briefing on 24 April 2023, a spokesperson stated that USS Truxtun (DDG-103) was "... off the coast of Sudan, near the Port of Sudan. It will stay there awaiting further orders should it be needed to support. Also, en route is the USS Puller."[36]

Footnotes
  1. NavSourve.org lists the overall length as 785 ft (239 m).
  2. MV-22 tilt-rotor transport aircraft are under consideration. See Embarked aircraft section of this article for details.

References
  1. "Keel Laid for Future USNS Lewis B. Puller". NNS131105-20. Naval Sea Systems Command Office of Corporate Communications. 5 November 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  2. James Marconi (5 January 2012). "Navy Names First Three Mobile Landing Platform Ships". Military Sealift Command Public Affairs. United States Navy. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
  3. "U.S. Navy Program Guide 2013" (PDF). United States Navy. 6 November 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2013. See pages 101–102
  4. "USNI News Video: Sea Base USS Lewis B. Puller Finding Its Way in 5th Fleet". usni.org. 3 April 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  5. Richard Scott (16 February 2014). "US MLP completes acceptance trials". IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. Jane's Information Group. Archived from the original on 25 February 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  6. GD NASSCO Successfully Launched 1st Afloat Forwarding Staging Base (AFSB) variant MLP - Navyrecognition.com, 12 November 2014
  7. GD NASSCO Christened the 1st Afloat Forward Staging Base variant MLP USNS Lewis B. Puller - Navyrecognition.com, 7 February 2015
  8. "Lewis B. Puller (T-ESB-3)". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  9. "USNS Lewis B. Puller Delivered to Fleet" (Press release). United States Navy. 15 June 2015. NS150615-03. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  10. "US Navy Commissions First-of-Class Expeditionary Mobile Sea Base, USS Lewis B. Puller" (Press release). United States Navy. 17 August 2017. NNS170817-23. Archived from the original on 18 August 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  11. "Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB)". Fact Files. United States Navy. 21 January 2021.
  12. "Updated: Keel Laid for First Dedicated Afloat Forward Staging Base". USNI News Blog. United States Naval Institute. 6 November 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  13. "USNS Lewis B. Puller (T-MLP-3)". USNI News Blog. NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive. 29 March 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  14. Lauren Maffeo (3 August 2011). "General Dynamics NASSCO Commissions Converteam to Supply Power Systems to US Navy". GovCon Executive. Retrieved 5 December 2013. General Dynamics NASSCO has commissioned Converteam to supply integrated power systems to the U.S. Navy, a move that follows the engineering solutions company's multimillion-dollar contract to design and supply the complete electric power, propulsion and vessel automation system for the Mobile Landing Platform program.
  15. "Naval Vessel Register - USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB-3)". Nvr.navy.mil. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  16. "Expeditionary Transfer Dock (T-ESD) and Expeditionary Mobile Base (T-ESB)" (PDF). Dote.osd.mil. Retrieved 16 October 2017. Has limited self-defense capability against any threat. Its self-defense capability against small boat attacks consists of 12 50-caliber gun stations capable of 360-degree
  17. "Navy Renames Three Ship Classes, Creates 'Expeditionary' Designator in Naming System". USNI News Blog. United States Naval Institute. 4 September 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  18. "Expeditionary mobile base Lewis B. Puller (T-ESB-3) | RealClearDefense". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  19. "USS LEWIS B PULLER (ESB 3)". Nvr.navy.mil. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  20. "The US Navy's Mobile Landing Platform Ships". Defense Industry Daily. Watershed Publishing. 18 August 2010. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  21. Mesta, Bill (21 June 2016). "USNS Lewis B. Puller: The Future of Expeditionary Minehunting". Navy.mil. Military Sealift Command Public Affairs. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  22. Eckstein, Megan (2 November 2015). "Expeditionary Mobile Base Chesty Puller May Receive SOF Upgrades Before 5th Fleet Deployment". news.usni.org. USNI News. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  23. Rogoway, Tyler (2 November 2016). "America's Huge Afloat Forward Staging Base In Action". The War Zone. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  24. "San Diego Marine & NASSCO Partner Yet Again For US Navy Auxiliary Ship". pcg.com. Performance Contracting Group. Fall 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  25. Muñoz, Carlo (16 January 2014). "SNA 2014: Navy Eyes Osprey Flights for AFSB Fleet". United States Naval Institute. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  26. Eckstein, Megan (12 July 2017). "Expeditionary Sea Base USNS Lewis B. Puller Departs for Maiden Deployment". news.usni.org. USNI News. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  27. "General Dynamics NASSCO Delivers USNS Lewis B. Puller MLP 3 AFSB". Navyrecognition.com. 14 June 2015.
  28. Megan Eckstein (2 November 2015). "Expeditionary Mobile Base Chesty Puller May Receive SOF Upgrades Before 5th Fleet Deployment". USNI News. United States Naval Institute. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  29. Secretary of the Navy Public Affairs. "Secretary of the Navy Names Expeditionary Mobile Base Ship". navy.mil. Archived from the original on 24 April 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  30. "Expeditionary Sea Base USNS Lewis B. Puller Begins First Operational Deployment". navyrecognition.com. 12 July 2017.
  31. Swysgood, Chad (20 September 2017). "USS Puller Participates in Alligator Dagger 2017". Public.navy.mil. United States Navy. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  32. "USS Lewis B. Puller embarks first airborne mine countermeasures in Middle East". navaltoday.com. 14 November 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  33. "Army attack helicopters teamed up with Navy ships to practice holding enemies 'at high risk' in the Middle East". Businessinsider.com. 2 April 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  34. Snow, Sean (15 April 2020). "11 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps vessels harass US warships in the Persian Gulf". Military Times. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  35. "Navy moves ships to Red Sea in case US needs to move Americans out of Sudan". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
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