Why China is Terrified of This U.S EXTRAORDINARY Navy Ship

The Indo-Pacific is home to rising
tensions, territorial disputes, and a fierce battle for supremacy.In one
corner is China, a country seeking to become a global superpower by aggressively expanding its
influence across the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

With its military build-up, sprawling claims over the
South China Sea, and an unwavering ambition to bring Taiwan under its control, it’s clear that
China wants to rewrite the rules of the game, challenging any who dare to stand in
its way.

But unfortunately for China, the country that’s increasingly standing in its
way is an actual superpower that no other country can challenge easily.

The United States.

Now, the
US might not have the same geographic advantage, military infrastructure and presence, support,
and access as China does in the region.

But what the US does have is a technological edge and
unmatched naval innovation that can project power across vast distances with unparalleled precision
and lethality.

And at the heart of this innovative arsenal? USS Lewis B.

Puller, an extraordinary
vessel that could singlehandedly decide the naval war between the US and China.

And that’s
why China, with all its might and ambitions, is terrified of this ship.

But what makes USS Lewis
B.

Puller such a game-changer in the Indo-Pacific, and which problems was it made to address? Keep
watching to find out.

Though the US had already had a presence in the Indo-Pacific, World War II
marked a pivotal shift in its strategic approach to the region.

To continue its major military
campaigns against Japan in the Pacific Theatre, the US built an airstrip on Canton Island, now
part of the island nation of Kiribati, some 1,900 miles south of Hawaii.

As a key refueling
and staging hub for trans-Pacific flights, the airfield was essential in preventing the
Allied nations in the Pacific from being encircled or isolated by enemy forces.

But then, World War
II ended, and the US gradually shifted its focus away from the Pacific Islands, redirecting its
attention to Europe and other global priorities during the Cold War.

This pivot led to a period of
strategic neglect in the region, as US foreign policy concentrated on different fronts.

Over the
decades, this lack of sustained attention created a vacuum that China has been eager to exploit,
advancing its influence through investments, political maneuvering, and strategic partnerships.

The perfect example of this? The US-built airstrip in Kiribati we just mentioned.

Some eight decades after its construction, China is the one that wants to take control
of it and restore it to full functionality.

Though the Kiribati government claims that this
6,562-foot airstrip will be solely used for civilian purposes – to improve transport links
and bolster tourism – its relative proximity to Hawaii makes it a potential asset for military
intelligence operations.

The situation in Kiribati underscores the broader challenge the US faces
in the Indo-Pacific – its historical influence is being increasingly contested by China’s assertive
expansion.

Should this expansion persist unabated, China could very well undermine regional security
and bring the People’s Liberation Army closer to US territory than ever.

With this in mind,
let’s discuss the main challenges China poses in the region to understand how USS Lewis B.

Puller
fits into the strategic response.

The No.

1 issue the US faces in the Indo-Pacific is China’s
growing military presence in the Pacific islands, including Kiribati and the Solomon Islands.

Beijing is entering into security pacts with these nations, allowing it to deploy Chinese military
personnel and police on their territories.

But why does this matter? Well, it’s simple.

If China’s
troops and police are present in a strategic location, the US will likely lose its access to
it and all the critical infrastructure it houses.

Besides swaying nations in the Indo-Pacific to
join its side physically, China has also done so diplomatically.

You see, Beijing has successfully
convinced a number of nations in the region, including Nauru and Solomon Islands, to shift
diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China.

The goal? To further isolate Taiwan and undermine
the US support for the island.

The end goal? To completely erode the US diplomatic standing and
stability in the Pacific islands and bring Taiwan under Chinese control.

China is pursuing this goal
through economic and infrastructure investments, too, trying to strengthen its foothold in the
Indo-Pacific.

That’s why it has launched a number of projects in the region, including the Tonga’s
water supply projects and port infrastructure in Fiji, each of them strategically positioned to
secure influence, facilitate military access, and, of course, challenge US dominance.

With
how aggressively China is pursuing its goals in the region and beyond, seeking to reshape the
international order, a direct conflict between China and the US can’t be ruled out.

In fact,
the escalating tensions and strategic competition are almost making such a clash inevitable.

Now,
you might think that China wouldn’t stand a chance if this conflict were to erupt.

After all, the
US boasts unmatched military capabilities, economic strength, and global alliances.

How
could China possibly compete? Unfortunately, things aren’t as simple.

In the very region
where this conflict would take place – the Indo-Pacific – almost everything is working
against the US, making the logistics of a potential conflict nothing short of a nightmare.

How so? Well, let’s see.

What do you need for a successful conflict in terms of logistics?
First and foremost, you need a network of highly connected military bases.

Take the Cold War as an
example.

The US was anticipating a confrontation with its No.

1 enemy—the Soviet Union—so it
established a vast network of highway-connected military bases stretching from Italy to Germany.

These bases served as the logistical backbone of the US’s military operations in the Northern
European Plains, which were considered the primary theater at the time.

But the Northern European
Plains spans an area roughly half the size of the contiguous US, which occupies about 3 million
square miles.

The Pacific Ocean, on the other hand, covers roughly 60 million square miles.

That’s almost one-third of the Earth’s total surface! So, even though the US has military
bases in the Pacific, this region is so vast that the bases are too far apart from each other
and from potential conflict hotspots.

Out of the roughly 400 military bases the US controls in
the Pacific, the closest to major conflict areas are those located in countries like Japan, South
Korea, and the Philippines.

Japan alone houses 120 active bases, making it the country with
the highest number of US bases in the world, followed by Germany with 119 and South Korea with
73.

About 70% of the US bases in Japan are in and around Okinawa, a strategically vital region
due to its proximity to potential flashpoints like Taiwan and the Korean Peninsula.

Though all of
these bases occupy approximately 77,000 acres of Japan, it’s important to note that not all of them
are full-fledged military installations.

Some of these bases are nothing but single antenna sites.

The second-closest military bases to the potential flashpoints in the Indo-Pacific are the bases
on US islands like Hawaii and Guam.

But their distance from potential conflict areas isn’t the
only problem.

Once the US started recasting the posture of its military forces to address rising
threats in the region, Guam was in a severely rundown state.

The island’s infrastructure, roads,
the water supply, the electrical system, piers, the airfield runways…virtually everything was in
dire need of repair and modernization.

Though the US has since heavily invested in Guam, with
infrastructure alone receiving $152 million, the extensive scope of repairs and upgrades
means that progress is still slow.

Of course, the most advanced and well-equipped US military
bases in the Pacific follow the designs of those on the US mainland, such as ones in California
and Washington.

These bases benefit from state-of-the-art infrastructure, extensive support
systems, and direct access to advanced technology and logistics networks.

However, while these
mainland bases offer superior capabilities and readiness, their distance from the Indo-Pacific
theater means they play a more indirect role in immediate regional operations.

So, basically,
there’s a Pacific military bases trilemma.

The trilemma involves balancing three critical factors
– capability, proximity, and infrastructure.

Bases in Japan and South Korea are closest to potential
conflict zones and can respond rapidly, but they face issues of resource constraints and local
opposition.

Mainland US bases offer superior infrastructure and technology but are thousands
of miles away from Indo-Pacific flashpoints of the East China Sea, Korean Peninsula, South China Sea,
and Taiwan.

Remote bases, such as those in Guam, have strategic importance but struggle with
outdated facilities, complicating their effectiveness.

From this alone, you can probably
understand why the so-called “tyranny of distance” has been labeled as one of the – if not the – most
significant challenges in US military strategy in the Pacific.

The math is simple – the further
the military force needs to be projected, the more complex and resource-intensive the operation
becomes.

Especially when distance isn’t a challenge for your opponent.

But as we previously
mentioned, China doesn’t only have geography on its side.

It also has numerous regional
alliances – another logistical prerequisite for warfare – which enhance its strategic positioning
while complicating the US’s strategic calculus.

That’s why the US Coast Guard cutter (USCGC)
Oliver Henry was prevented from refueling in the Solomon Islands in August 2022.

And why the USCGC
Juniper wasn’t cleared to dock at a Vanuatu port for the same purpose on time in January 2023.

The governments of these countries can label these incidents as bureaucratic mishaps all they
want, but the timing and nature of these refusals only confirm one thing – China’s influence reaches
deep into the Pacific.

As a result, even some of the US partners in South and Southeast Asia are
avoiding outright aligning with the US against China.

Other vital elements of warfare logistics
are also on China’s side.

Effective supply chains, numerous command and control centers, complex
transportation networks, regular upkeep and repair of military equipment…you name it, and China’s
got it covered.

The US, on the other hand, is mostly left to its own devices in the region,
even with all the crucial strategic alliances in the Indo-Pacific.

After all, the US is
usually the one to bear the brunt of all the defense responsibilities within these alliances.

So, if the US wanted to maintain operational readiness in the region, it had to do it on its
own.

However, traditional logistics solutions, such as sealift, simply aren’t viable in
this scenario.

Not when there’s the threat of enemy ballistic missiles, China’s expanding
influence casting a long shadow in the region, and, of course, the tyranny of distance.

That’s
why the US came up with expeditionary sea bases, or ESBs for short.

Simply put, ESBs are floating
military bases.

But don’t confuse these bases with traditional warships designed for combat.

ESBs
are mobile platforms designed to support a wide range of military operations, with an emphasis on
logistics, all while staying out of direct combat zones.

These bases basically allow the US to
project power and sustain operations in contested areas without relying on vulnerable land bases
or traditional supply chains.

So, you’ve got your aircraft carriers that act like an air base at
sea.

There are also amphibious vessels resembling mobile ports.

And then, you have the ESBs, which
can be best compared to a flight-decked garage at sea.

A $650 million floating garage! As such,
ESB vessels are primarily designed to support low-intensity missions, allowing the US Navy
to re-task the more high-value surface combatant warships and amphibious warfare ships to
more demanding operational missions.

But don’t confuse low intensity with low importance.

While ESBs aren’t built for frontline combat, their role is critical in sustaining long-term
operations.

Supporting missions such as mine clearance, special operations, drone launches,
refueling, and maintenance, they practically allow high-intensity tasks to take place.

As
you can probably guess by now, the USS Lewis B.

Puller is one of these game-changing vessels.

So, let’s learn everything about it! USS Lewis B.

Puller is the first purpose-built ESB vessel
to be constructed for the US Navy, as well as the second ship to be named in honor of Lieutenant
General Lewis “Chesty” Puller.

Lieutenant General Puller is the most decorated Marine in American
history, having been awarded five Navy Crosses and one Distinguished Service Cross during his 37
years of service.

He was awarded his fifth Navy Cross for the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in 1950
during the Korean War, with the award citation highlighting his “unflagging determination” that
allowed him to “ensure [the] correct tactical employment [of the troops],” “[keep open the main
supply routes],” “[supervise] prompt evacuation of all casualties,” and “[assure] the safety of
much valuable equipment which would otherwise have been lost to the enemy.

” Interestingly,
the second US Navy vessel to be named after him – USS Lewis B.

Puller – shares the legacy
of resilience and operational flexibility that Lieutenant General Puller embodied.

USS Lewis
B.

Puller was first ordered in February 2012, delivered in June 2015, and commissioned in
August 2017 at Khalifa bin Salman Port in Al Hidd, Bahrain, becoming the first US-built ship to
be commissioned outside the US Prior to this, the ship’s prefix changed from USNS – United
States Naval Ship – to USS – United States Ship.

The reason for this change lies in the Law
of Armed Conflict, which mandates that ships in active combat operations must be designated as USS
to reflect their combat-ready status.

The ship’s hull classification also changed from T-ESB-3 to
ESB-3 to indicate it will be manned by US Navy sailors rather than civilian mariners.

Since USS
Lewis B.

Puller was the first purpose-built ESB vessel, it shouldn’t be surprising it’s also the
lead ship in the US Navy’s ESB vessel class.

This class consists of five other vessels: USS
Hershel “Woody” Williams USS Miguel Keith USS John L.

Canley USS Robert E.

Simanek USS Hector
A.

Cafferata Jr.

The Canley was last out of the first three ships to deploy – in February 2024 –
while the last two vessels on the list are still under construction.

When the leader among these
ships – USS Puller – was being commissioned, the former Commander of Naval Forces Central
Command, Vice Admiral Kevin M.

Donegan, described it as a “revolutionary concept.

” His exact
words were: “The Puller isn’t just another ship, but a revolutionary concept; a ship that provides
us a key platform that will provide continuity to a variety of operations.

” So, let’s see what
this platform looks like and which operations it supports.

There’s no doubt about it – USS Lewis
B.

Puller is unique in every sense of the word.

The same goes for its silhouette, which stands
out with its distinctive flat-bottomed hull and expansive flight deck, which makes it resemble
a floating parking lot.

The initial design was based on the hull of the civilian Alaska-class
oil tanker, which allowed the US Navy to keep the costs relatively low compared to other
fully improvised vessels.

For comparison’s sake, a San Antonio-class ship, designed for
amphibious warfare, costs roughly $2 billion, while an ESB like the Puller can be built for
about $650 million.

Basically, General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company created
the Puller by removing the middle section from an off-the-shelf Alaska-class tanker and adding a
flight deck.

But the spacious flight deck is just one of the Puller’s main capabilities.

It also has
aviation facilities, command and control assets, a mission deck, and ample crew and supplies room.

An overview of all of these capabilities makes it abundantly clear why China is terrified of this
vessel.

Let’s start with USS Lewis B.

Puller’s most prominent feature – the massive flight
deck.

Now, just how massive are we talking? It’s approximately the size of a football field, making
the Puller’s desk the third-largest in the US Navy inventory, behind only the actual aircraft
carriers and amphibious assault ships, whose decks typically span more than three football fields.

This deck, which makes up for almost half of the 764-foot long ship, is large enough to land
transport aircraft, such as the MV-22 Osprey, the primary assault support aircraft for the
US Marine Corps, and CH-53 Super Stallion, the Marine Corps’ primary heavy lift helicopter.

In total, there’s enough room for four CH-53s and two MH-53s to land simultaneously, which
significantly enhances the Puller’s operational flexibility and capability in supporting various
missions.

The former aircraft would use the four rotary-wing landing spots, while the latter
two can be accommodated in additional deck space.

A variety of other helicopters can also
use USS Lewis B.

Puller’s expansive deck, from the smaller Bell AH-1 Cobra single-engine attack
helicopter to the larger Boeing CH-47 heavy-lift helicopter.

The only aircraft you’ll never see on
an ESB like the Puller is the F-35B STOVL fighter, as the heat from its exhaust could damage
the deck.

But helicopters aren’t the only military assets you’ll find on the Puller.

This
extraordinary ship also facilitates the launch, operation, and recovery of various unmanned
aerial vehicles, or UAVs for short.

The Boeing Insitu ScanEagle surveillance and reconnaissance
aerial vehicle and the Aerosonde UAS drone with multi-mission capability are just some examples.

These UAVs extend the Puller’s operational reach by providing real-time intelligence and
surveillance, as well as supporting reconnaissance missions and enhancing situational awareness.

Best of all? Thanks to the spacious flight deck, entire swarms of these drones can be launched and
recovered simultaneously, transforming the Puller into a mobile command center that can project
power and precision across vast expanses of the Indo-Pacific.

Speaking of command centers, USS
Lewis B.

Puller boasts rather impressive command and control capabilities.

With over 2 megawatts
of surplus energy, up to 40 desks, and plenty of space for information fusion, it can serve as
a hub for coordinating complex operations and integrating real-time data from multiple sources.

Besides storing and processing massive amounts of data, this ship has the necessary capabilities
to keep this data private, which is essential for maintaining operational security and ensuring
that sensitive information remains secure from potential adversaries.

These capabilities become
even more crucial when the adversary in question is China, a country known for its sophisticated
cyber capabilities.

The next feature of USS Lewis B.

Puller that deserves attention is its advanced
aviation facilities.

Besides the helicopter landing deck we mentioned previously, this ship
also features a hangar, which provides ample space for storing and maintaining aircraft.

The hangar’s
design supports a variety of aviation assets, ensuring they are kept in optimal condition and
ready for rapid deployment.

Given how many times we’ve used words like “massive” and “spacious”
to describe this ship, it shouldn’t be surprising that USS Lewis B.

Puller also offers ample crew
and supplies room, the final crucial feature of this ship.

As far as crew goes, this ship can
support up to 298 mission-related personnel, including special operations teams.

A typical
ESB crew consists of 44 military sealift command personnel and 101 military support staff,
leaving plenty of space for specialized roles and operational needs.

The military crew on this
ship operates on a rotational model, with the Blue and the Gold Crew alternating on and off the hull
every five months.

These color designations were originally introduced for the US Navy’s fleet
of submarines during the Cold War but are now used across various naval platforms.

The goal of this
crew rotation system is simple – to allow the ship to always stay deployed and operate in hazardous
areas for longer periods.

As for the supplies, they can be stored both above and under the deck.

The former capabilities allow mission-related equipment to be stored on deck, including up
to four MK-105 minesweeping hydrofoil sleds.

The latter refers to approximately 82,000
square feet of mission deck space below, including an ordnance storage magazine, underway
replenishment facilities, and a spacious area for the installation of containerized mission
equipment and handling of rigid-hull boats, which can also be launched from the Puller.

Here’s a quick rundown of a few more facts you should know about USS Lewis B.

Puller before
moving on to how this ship performs in action.

The maximum speed of the Puller is 15 knots, while its
operational range is 9,500 nautical miles.

Fully loaded, this ship displaces approximately 90,000
long tons, which provides it with the substantial mass and stability needed for sustained operations
in diverse maritime environments.

The Puller can even be armed, thanks to 12 stations reserved for
mounting 0.

50-caliber machine guns.

With all the mind-blowing specs out of the way, let’s see how
this unique combination of capabilities translates into real-world performance and effectiveness.

After being commissioned in August 2017, USS Lewis B.

Puller has been part of a number of important
operations around the Arabian Sea.

At first, this ship was only involved in military exercises
– the Alligator Dagger in 2017, the deployment of a detachment from Helicopter Mine Countermeasures
Squadron 15 for training in 2018, and deck landing qualifications for US Army AH-64 Apache attack
helicopters in 2020.

2022 was when the first notable operational deployment of USS Lewis B.

Puller took place.

In December of that year, the crew aboard the Puller interdicted and boarded
the stateless fishing trawler in the Gulf of Oman, seizing 7,000 proximity fuses for rockets,
over 4,600 pounds of propellants for launching rocket-propelled grenades, and ammunition rounds,
including over a million AK-47 rounds.

The 50 tons of weapons and ammunition were reportedly being
smuggled to the Houthis in Yemen by Iran, but the latter was eventually used as military aid for
Ukraine after the seizure.

Once the Houthi started attacking commercial shipping vessels in the Red
Sea in November 2023, the Puller was deployed to the Arabian Sea to help support maritime
operations in the region.

In January of 2024, the ship served as the Launchpad for the Navy SEAL
mission that seized Iranian-made ballistic missile and cruise missile components reportedly sent to
the Houthi rebels.

The Navy SEALs launched from the Puller in a small boat, conducting a mission
known as visit, board, search, and seizure.

And that’s exactly what they did.

They approached the
dhow traveling off the coast of Somalia, boarded it, detained its crew, searched all the holds for
weapons, and seized them.

As of September 2024, USS Lewis B.

Puller is still located in the
same area – the Persian Gulf – waiting for its next assignment.

Let’s say that the assignment in
question involves standing up to China.

How could USS Lewis B.

Puller help the US best this rival
in the Indo-Pacific? From the very beginning, this ship was designed with the logistics of a
conflict in the Pacific Ocean in mind.

As Vice Admiral Donegan put it, this expeditionary sea
base allows “the Navy and Marine Corps team to meet the threats in the region head-on.

” And since
these threats are “asymmetric,” “growing,” and “ever-evolving,” the Puller was also designed to
be more diverse and capable than previous warships around the globe.

So, this ship can be outfitted
with support facilities for a range of operations, including: special forces missions, counter-piracy
operations, maritime security operations, mine clearance and humanitarian aid and disaster relief
missions.

Of course, these missions are just extras to the ones the Puller can perform with
its native capabilities, such as intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and command and
control operations.

Thanks to the modular command and control capabilities, the Puller is also
a valuable asset for maintaining situational awareness and relaying information.

In the context
of a conflict with China, virtually all military assets, intelligence, and complex operations
across the Indo-Pacific could be successfully coordinated in real time from this vessel alone.

USS Lewis B.

Puller could also be used for medevac and reinforcement, which makes it an essential
platform for sustaining operations and ensuring rapid response capabilities.

However, due to the
tyranny of distance, one role in particular would be a game-changer in a conflict between the US
and China – the Puller’s role as a logistical node.

According to some estimates, ESBs like
the Puller have the capacity to store over 11 million gallons of cargo, which can either
be distributed to troops ashore or used to refuel various sea-based platforms at sea.

To
understand just how massive this capacity is, all you need to know is that amphibious assault
ships like USS America can carry only one million gallons of cargo fuel.

Even Nimitz-class aircraft
carriers, which are basically huge cities at sea, can only carry about 3.

5 million gallons of
fuel.

Technically, this means that a single ESB like the Puller could refuel an entire fleet of
aircraft carriers or a large number of destroyers, providing unprecedented logistical support
in extended naval operations.

But let’s say the Puller isn’t only carrying cargo fuel.

The vast cargo space would allow this ship to transport essential resources to US troops
in the Indo-Pacific, preventing China from ever cutting off their supply lines.

The best part?
These supplies wouldn’t just be stored on the Puller.

They could also be directly transported
to ground troops with one of the many helicopters the Puller can accommodate.

This is undoubtedly
ground-breaking, as the Pacific Ocean is simply too vast and contains insufficient US-held
land infrastructure for any other form of logistics to be as effective or resilient.

If
the troops were to use land ports or airports, China could easily target and bomb these
strategic points, disrupting supply lines.

But the same can’t be done with helicopters.

These
aircraft excel at delivering supplies without the need for extensive infrastructure.

Spare
parts, fuel, ammunition, food, water…whatever US troops needed, the Puller could swiftly
deliver via helicopters, ensuring uninterrupted operational capability and reinforcing the
US presence across the region.

Water is of particular importance, as recent exercises in the
Philippines showed that an average Marine uses 20 gallons of water per day for hydration, hygiene,
and other essential needs.

Thanks to the Puller’s onboard desalination systems, the ship could carry
enough water to sustain hundreds of troops for extended periods, making it a vital lifeline
in remote or contested areas.

Essentially, USS Lewis B.

Puller could resolve virtually all
logistical challenges the US would face in a potential war with China in the Indo-Pacific.

No
nearby military bases? No problem; the Puller can bring critical supplies directly to troops in the
field via its extensive helicopter facilities.

Forbidden access to ports for refueling? It’s all
good! The Puller’s enormous cargo capacity allows it to refuel sea-based platforms at sea, ensuring
that critical naval assets remain operational even if they can’t dock at traditional refueling
stations.

Remote or contested areas? Not an issue; the Puller’s ability to operate and deliver
supplies from its floating base ensures support even in the most isolated locations.

Threats
to land infrastructure? Easily circumvented; the Puller’s mobility and self-sufficiency mean
it can maintain operational continuity while bypassing vulnerable land-based supply routes.

Simply put, the Puller is a versatile logistical powerhouse capable of bridging gaps, sustaining
forces, and maintaining US operational readiness in the face of any challenge posed by the vast and
complex theater of the Indo-Pacific.

That’s why China fears it so much.

But what do you think?
Could China possibly find a way to neutralize or counteract the Puller’s significant advantages?
Or will this extraordinary US Navy lead the US to victory in any scenario? Share your thoughts in
the comments section below.

Now go check out Japan Shocks China by Revealing 5 Never-Before-Seen
Weapons or click this other video instead!