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Expeditionary Transfer Dock (ESD)

Last updated: 13 Oct 2021

Description
The Expeditionary Transfer Dock (ESD) ship class is a highly flexible platform, like and Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) that may be used across a broad range of military operations supporting multiple operational phases. Acting as a mobile sea base, they are part of the critical access infrastructure that supports the deployment of forces and supplies to provide prepositioned equipment and sustainment with flexible distribution. The ships were originally called the Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) and the MLP Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB), respectively. In September 2015, the Secretary of the Navy re-designated these hulls to conform to traditional three-letter ship designations. The design of these ships is based on the Alaska class crude oil carrier, which was built by General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO). Leveraging commercial designs ensures design stability and lower development costs. The USNS Montford Point (T-ESD 1) and USNS John Glenn (T-ESD 2) are configured with the Core Capability Set, which consists of a vehicle staging area, vehicle transfer ramp, large mooring fenders and up to three Landing Craft Air Cushion vessel lanes to support its core equipment transfer requirements. With a 9,500 nautical mile range at a sustained speed of 15 knots, these approximately 80,000 tons, 785-foot ships leverage float-on/float-off technology and a reconfigurable mission deck to maximize capability. Additionally, the ships' size allows for 25,000 square feet of vehicle and equipment stowage space and 380,000 gallons of JP-5 fuel storage. Montford Point (T-ESD 1) and John Glenn (T-ESD 2) have been delivered to the U.S. Navy and are operated by Military Sealift Command.
 
Background
The Navy worked in close partnership with NASSCO to identify cost savings early in the ESD design process while pursuing a concurrent design and production engineering approach. Following the successful production readiness review (an evaluation of the ship's design maturity, availability of materials and the shipbuilder's ability to successfully start construction) the Secretary of the Navy certified the design and informed Congress that the design of ESD was more than 85 percent complete and ready to proceed with fabrication. The Navy awarded NASSCO a fixed-price incentive fee type contract for the detail design and construction of T-ESD 1 and T-ESD 2 in May 2011. A detail design and construction contract was awarded to NASSCO for T-ESD 3 in February 2012. The ship configuration was subsequently changed to ESB 3 mid-construction via an engineering change proposal in March 2014 after receiving Joint Requirements Oversight Council approval.
 
General Characteristics, Montford Point Class, Expeditionary Transfer Dock (ESD)
Builder: NASSCO
Propulsion: Commercial Diesel Electric Propulsion
Length: 239.3 meters (785 feet)
Beam: 50 meters (164 feet)
Displacement: 78,000 tons (fully loaded)
Draft: 9 Meters (fully loaded); 12 Meters (load line)
Speed: 15 knots
Range: 9,500 nautical miles
Crew: 34 Military Sealift Command personnel
Ships:
USNS Montford Point (T-ESD 1) - delivered
USNS John Glenn (T-ESD 2) - delivered
 

Point of Contact
Military Sealift Command
Public Affairs

471 East C St.
Norfolk, VA 73511-2419

Military Sealift Command
(757) 443-2839

 

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