NASSCO christens its final ‘floating pier’ ship in San Diego Bay

General Dynamics-NASSCO on Saturday christened the 784-foot USNS Hector A. Cafferata Jr., the last of six super-sized sea-based platforms the company has built for the Navy.

The Expeditionary Sea Bases (ESBs) are designed for mine countermeasures, special operations, and humanitarian relief. They also can be used to deploy forces and can handle helicopters and MV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft, which are mostly used to transport Marines. The Navy sometimes refers to the ships as floating piers.

The Cafferata will be delivered to the Navy later this year and will undergo extensive sea trials before it goes into service. The ship bears the name of a Marine Corps Reserve member who was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1952 for holding off enemy forces and shielding fellow Marines during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War.

“The remarkable story of valor and sacrifice of Hector Cafferata Jr. will soon sail across the globe, carried by a ship that embodies his courage and dedication,” NASSCO President David Carver said in a statement.