USNS Lewis B. Puller (T-ESB-1)

USNS Lewis B. Puller (T-ESB-1, ex-T-MLP-3/T-AFSB-1) is the first purpose-built afloat forward staging base (AFSB) vessel for the United States Navy. It will be one of two AFSB variants of the U.S. Navy's planned fleet of Mobile Landing Platform vessels. Lewis B. Puller is slated to replace the USS Ponce (AFSB-(I)-15) currently operating with the U.S. Fifth Fleet in the Persian Gulf in 2016.

Background
Lewis B. Puller and its sister ship (MLP-4) will differ significantly from the U.S. Navy's first two Mobile Landing Platform support vessels, the USNS Montford Point (T-MLP-1) and USNS John Glenn (T-MLP-2). These two ships act as a floating base or transfer station that can be prepositioned off the target area. The Lewis B. Puller and MLP-4 will serve as afloat forward staging bases (AFSB) to support a variety of 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. These AFSB variants are slated to operate in the Middle East and the Pacific Ocean.

Lewis B. Puller will be operated by the Military Sealift Command. Its designation prefix will be "USNS." The crew will consist of civilian mariners under contract with U.S. maritime unions. Lewis B. Puller is intended to replace the USS Ponce (LPD-15), the U.S. Navy's interim AFSB support ship.

Design features
The overall design of the USNS Lewis B. Puller (T-MLP-3/T-AFSB-1) is based on the hull of the civilian Alaska-class oil tanker. The Puller will be outfitted with support facilities for its mine-sweeping, special operations, and other expeditionary missions. An accommodation barge will also be carried to support up to 298 additional mission-related personnel, including special-operations teams.

The Puller's aviation facilities include a flight deck with landing spots for two heavy-lift transport CH-53 helicopters, as well as additional deck space for two more CH-53s. The Puller will also have 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.

GE Power Conversion will provide complete electric power, propulsion, and vessel automation systems for all MLP 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.

Embarked aircraft
On 16 January 2014, at the Surface Naval Association's national symposium, the head of NAVSEA's Strategic and Theater Sealift program, Captain Henry Stevens, announced that the Bell-Boeing MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft will be evaluated for potential operations on board the Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB) variant of the Mobile Landing Platform. Currently, the testing and certification of MH-53E helicopters for minesweeping operations from AFSB support ships are slated to begin during fiscal year 2016. Additionally, Captain Stevens noted that the F-35B STOVL strike fighter was not currently being considered for AFSB operations because of concerns that exhaust heat damaging the flight decks of U.S. Navy amphibious assault ships.

Namesake
USNS Lewis B. Puller (T-MLP-3/T-AFSB-1) is named after Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller, USMC. 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.

Construction history
The United States Navy ordered MLP-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).

The keel-laying ceremony for the USNS Lewis B. Puller (T-MLP-3/T-AFSB-1) took place at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego, California, on 5 November 2013. The keel of the 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. Mrs. Glueck welded her initials onto a steel plate that will be permanently affixed to the ship, remaining a part of the Lewis B. Puller throughout its service life.

The USNS Lewis B. Puller was launched and floated-off at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard on 6 November 2014 (pictured). The launching dock was slowly flooded with water until it could freely float by itself. The ship was christened on 7 February 2015, and it was delivered on 12 June 2015.

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

Ship re-designation
Effective 4 September 2015, U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus officially announced the creation of a new ship designation, "E" for expeditionary support. Mobile Landing Platforms (MLPs) will be called Expeditionary Transfer Dock, or ESD; and the Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB) variant of the MLP will be called Expeditionary Mobile Base, or ESB. The new designation was pursuant to a memorandum sent to Secretary Mabus from Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert dated 31 August 2015.