The U.S. Navy has laid the keel for its sixth expeditionary sea base vessel named after Hector Cafferata Jr., a Korean war veteran and a Medal of Honor recipient.
The keel authentication ceremony for the future USNS Hector A. Cafferata Jr. (ESB 8) was held at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego, California, and was attended by the namesake’s daughter, Heather Cafferata, and granddaughter, Jessica Cafferata, as the ship sponsors, the Navy said Thursday.
ESB 8 will join the Navy’s fleet of mobile sea-based platforms that help deploy forces, supplies and equipment in support of aviation mine countermeasures and special operations force duties.
“We are honored that the late Hector A. Cafferata’s Jr.’s legacy will live on through this ship, and the keel laying is a first step of many milestones to come for this ship,” said Tim Roberts, strategic and theater sealift program manager within the Navy Program Executive Office Ships. “ESBs provide a critical capability to the fleet and provide increased flexibility to our Sailors and Marines.”
Construction of the Navy’s future USNS Robert E. Simanek (ESB 7) is also underway at General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard.