May 8, 2021 – The U.S. Navy announced that the expeditionary maneuvering base ship USS Miguel Keith (ESB5) will be deployed to the Western Pacific this summer.
The U.S. Navy announced that the USS Miguel Keith Expeditionary Maneuvering Base Ship (ESB5) will be deployed to the Western Pacific this summer; the giant ship will be at the forefront of global conflicts against any threat to the United States, with special mention of the Chinese Communist Party, the admiral said.
Millitary.com reported last Saturday (May 8) that a ceremony was held at Naval Station North Island in Coronado, California, to launch the USS Miguel Keith Expeditionary Maneuvering Base Ship. The new ship, which cost $525 million, is 785 feet long, 164 feet wide and has a draft of about 39 feet.
The USS Miguel Keith will be permanently deployed outside the United States. Its first base of operations will be on Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. Last Saturday’s sailing means the ship is operational.
The Miguel Keith, commanded by Captain Troy A. Fendrick, will deploy about 100 officers and sailors, as well as 44 Military Sealift Civil Service Mariners.
The ship’s massive size gives it a deck large enough to eject the U.S. military’s largest and heaviest MH-53 helicopters, as well as Marine Corps F-35B jet fighters.
On May 8, 2021, the U.S. Navy announced that USS Miguel Keith, an Expeditionary Maneuvering Base Ship (ESB5), will be deployed to the Western Pacific this summer.
Speaking at a ceremony at Naval Air Station North Island, Adm. Craig Faller, commander of U.S. Southern Command, said Miguel Keith could travel the world in his lifetime, such as the Caribbean, the South China Sea or the Strait of Hormuz.
The ship’s crew would be at the forefront of confronting global conflicts that threaten the United States, including against the Chinese Communist Party, he said.
“The Chinese Communist Party seeks global dominance with its insidious and corrupt forces and imposes its (Communist version of) international order,” Farrer said.
“To continue to win this global competition, we must be at the top of the game. We need to continue to develop the best technology and the best warships, as we see here today.” He said.
Built by San Diego-based General Dynamics NASSCO, the Miguel Keith can travel more than 9,500 nautical miles at 15 knots. Its propulsion system consists of twin-screw diesel engines, a medium-speed diesel main engine and a 24-megawatt diesel power plant.
The Miguel Keith is the third U.S. Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB), a class of ships formerly known as the Forward Staging Base (FSB). These highly flexible ship platforms can provide logistical support for a wide range of military operations from sea to shore.
The ESB class ships are designed around four core functions: aviation facilities, berthing, equipment staging areas, and command and control. The Miguel Keith will be part of the Navy’s forward-deployed force from U.S. bases on Saipan.
Expeditionary sea-based ships like the Miguel Keith can be used for a variety of military operations, such as warfare, counter-piracy and humanitarian support.
The Navy originally intended to use these ships for civilian purposes, but by 2020, the Navy said all expeditionary sea-based ships will be in service as warships, giving these sea-based ships more flexibility to play an active role in military operations. The Navy’s other expeditionary sea bases are already operating off the coast of Africa and in the Middle East.
U.S. Rep. Scott Peters (D-Mich.) said, “The sea-based ship USS Miguel Keith is ready to meet any challenge to defend our freedom, just as her name implies.”
The sea-based ship is named after Marine Corps Vietnam veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Cpl. Miguel Keith. Keith served in the Marine Corps in 1969, then served in the Vietnam War and became a hero when he was wounded during a military conflict in May 1970, eventually holding his ground with a heavy machine gun.
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