Navy Welcomes the Future USS Robert E. Simanek to Fleet

The newest Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) ship, named after Private First Class Robert Ernest Simanek, has been the focus of recent naval developments. Simanek earned the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during the Battle of Bunker Hill in the Korean War, where he protected fellow Marines from a grenade.

Tim Roberts, Program Manager for Strategic and Theater Sealift at Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships, emphasized the importance of the ESB class. “From christening in May 2024 to delivery, it has been an exciting time for those who spend each day preparing this ship to support our fleet,” Roberts stated. He highlighted the ship’s versatility, describing it as essential for various military operations and a key component of critical access infrastructure supporting force deployment.

ESBs are engineered to support a diverse array of maritime missions. These include operations involving Special Forces, airborne mine countermeasures, crisis response, as well as intelligence and reconnaissance tasks. Equipped with a four-spot V-22-sized flight deck, mission deck, and hangar, these ships are designed around core capabilities such as aviation facilities, berthing, equipment staging support, and command and control assets.

Another ESB vessel, the future USS Hector A. Cafferata Jr. (ESB 8), is currently under construction at NASSCO.

PEO Ships is one of the largest acquisition organizations within the Department of Defense. It oversees the development and procurement of a wide range of vessels, including destroyers, amphibious ships, auxiliary ships, special mission ships, and support ships.