USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB-3)

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.[6][8]
AwardedFebruary 2012[5]
BuilderNASSCO – San Diego, California[6]
Cost$650 million[10]
Laid down5 November 2013[6][7]
Launched6 November 2014[1]
Sponsored byMartha Puller Downs[9]
Christened7 February 2015[9]
Acquired12 June 2015[2][3]
Commissioned17 August 2017[4]
Identification
MottoCourage, Leadership, Duty
Statusin active service[4]
Badge
General characteristics
DisplacementApprox. 90,000 long tons (100,000 short tons) fully loaded[11]
Length764 ft (233 m)[14][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)[6][13]
Range9,500 nautical miles (17,600 km; 10,900 mi)[6]
Boats & landing
craft carried		Accommodation barge (298 mission-related personnel max.)[5]
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[5]
NotesAfloat forward staging base variant[5]

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. The lead ship in her class of expeditionary mobile bases, she is also a sub-variant of the Montford Point-class expeditionary transfer docks.[19] Lewis B. Puller replaced USS Ponce with the U.S. Fifth Fleet in the Persian Gulf in late 2017.[6][7]

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.[4]

  1. ^ GD NASSCO Successfully Launched 1st Afloat Forwarding Staging Base (AFSB) variant MLP - Navyrecognition.com, 12 November 2014
  2. ^ "Lewis B. Puller (T-ESB-3)". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  3. ^ "USNS Lewis B. Puller Delivered to Fleet" (Press release). United States Navy. 15 June 2015. NS150615-03. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  4. ^ a b c "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.
  5. ^ a b c d "U.S. Navy Program Guide 2013" (PDF). United States Navy. 6 November 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 February 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2013. See pages 101–102
  6. ^ a b c d e f "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.
  7. ^ a b 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.
  8. ^ James Marconi (5 January 2012). "Navy Names First Three Mobile Landing Platform Ships". Military Sealift Command Public Affairs. United States Navy. Archived from the original on 21 February 2013. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
  9. ^ a b GD NASSCO Christened the 1st Afloat Forward Staging Base variant MLP USNS Lewis B. Puller - Navyrecognition.com, 7 February 2015
  10. ^ "USNI News Video: Sea Base USS Lewis B. Puller Finding Its Way in 5th Fleet". usni.org. 3 April 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  11. ^ "Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB)". Fact Files. United States Navy. 21 January 2021.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ a b c d e "USNS Lewis B. Puller (T-MLP-3)". USNI News Blog. NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive. 29 March 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  14. ^ "Updated: Keel Laid for First Dedicated Afloat Forward Staging Base". USNI News Blog. United States Naval Institute. 6 November 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  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.


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