US Navy commissions expeditionary sea base John L. Canley

The US Navy commissioned the Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary sea base USS John L. Canley in a ceremony in Coronado, California, on Saturday, February 17.

The 784-foot (239-metre) ship is named for Medal of Honor recipient, retired Sergeant Major John L. Canley. Canley, who served in the US Marine Corps for 28 years, was awarded the highest US military honour 50 years after his actions during the Vietnam War.

Sergeant Major Canley passed away in May 2022 just as the ship bearing his name was being built.

The ESB will primarily support aviation mine countermeasure and special operations force missions. In addition to the flight deck, the ship has a hangar with two aviation operating spots capable of handling MH-53E Sea Dragon-equivalent helicopters.

The ship also has accommodations, work spaces, and ordnance storage for an embarked force, enhanced command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence to support embarked force mission planning and execution, and a reconfigurable mission deck area to store equipment including mine sleds and rigid inflatable boats.

John L. Canley was built at the San Diego facilities of General Dynamics NASSCO. The ship will be part of the Forward Deployed Naval Force operating from Saipan.