General Dynamics NASSCO began construction Wednesday of the fourth vessel in an evolving class of Navy ships designed to support Marine expeditionary missions.
NASSCO has launched three of the ships, previously called mobile landing platforms, and the third and fourth in the series will be reclassified as expeditionary base mobile ships.
The latest 784-foot ship will be configured with a 52,000 square-foot flight deck, fuel and equipment storage, repair spaces, magazines, mission planning spaces and accommodations for up to 250 personnel.
The new ship will be capable of supporting multiple missions including mine counter measures, counter-piracy operations, maritime security operations, humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions and Marine Corps crisis response. It will be able to handle MH-53 and MH-60 helicopters and the new MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft.
NASSCO has already launched the USNS Montford Point, USNS John Glenn and USNS Lewis B. Puller in this evolving class of vessels.
