Marine Group Boat Works has handed over a new Advanced Range Support Vessel to the US Navy, expanding the service’s maritime infrastructure for next-generation weapons testing. Constructed at the company’s Chula Vista facility, the vessel is equipped with an open aft deck that allows aerial and surface targets to be deployed during offshore evaluation missions. An onboard hydraulic crane will assist crews with recovering targets after testing. The aluminum vessel was built and validated using American Bureau of Shipping commercial standards and underwent additional inspections by the US Coast Guard. The new platform is expected to operate with the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division at the Point Mugu Sea Range in Southern California. Its design provides the Navy with a flexible support vessel capable of handling target deployment and recovery during weapons trials. The delivery comes as the US military continues investing in test infrastructure needed to evaluate advanced missiles, sensors, unmanned systems, and other emerging capabilities under realistic operating conditions.
