General Dynamics NASSCO began construction on the second ship of the US Navy's Expeditionary Base Mobile (ESB) program.
The 239 metre ship can accommodate 250 people and features a 4,831m2 flight deck, fuel and equipment storage, repair spaces and mission planning spaces.
The ship will be capable of supporting air mine counter measures (AMCM), counter-piracy operations, maritime security operations, humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions and US Marine Corps crisis response. It will also support MH-53 and MH-60 helicopters, and will be upgraded to support MV-22 tilt rotor aircrafts.