U.S. Navy to Commission Expeditionary Sea Base USS John L. Canley

The U.S. Navy is set to commission the USS John L. Canley (ESB 6), the newest Expeditionary Sea Base ship, during a ceremony at 10:00 a.m. PST on Saturday, Feb. 17, in Coronado, California.

Constructed by General Dynamics NASSCO, the USS John L. Canley (ESB 6) is part of the Expeditionary Sea Base fleet, which includes six delivered ships across two variants: Expeditionary Transfer Dock (ESD) and Expeditionary Sea Base. The ship is touted as a highly flexible platform used in various military operations.

ESB 6 joins existing ships such as the USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB 3), USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4), and USS Miguel Keith (ESB 5), supporting maritime-based missions like Special Operations Forces (SOF) and Airborne Mine Counter Measures (AMCM). ESBs provide aviation facilities, berthing, equipment staging support, and command and control assets.

The USS John L. Canley (ESB 6) will become part of the critical access infrastructure, supporting the deployment of forces, equipment, supplies, and warfighting capability. Additional ships, USS Robert E. Simanek (ESB 7) and USS Hector A. Cafferata Jr. (ESB 8), are currently under construction.