California-based Marine Group Boat Works has delivered an Advanced Range Support Vessel to the US Navy, strengthening its ability to conduct at-sea testing of next-generation weapons. Built at the company’s Chula Vista shipyard, the custom aluminum vessel features an open aft deck for launching and recovering aerial and surface targets. A hydraulic crane supports target recovery operations during testing activities. The vessel was assembled and validated according to American Bureau of Shipping commercial standards, with additional inspections conducted by the US Coast Guard. Once operational, the vessel will support the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division during weapons evaluation activities at the Point Mugu Sea Range in Southern California. The platform is designed to provide a dedicated maritime support capability for testing emerging naval weapons and related systems in realistic offshore environments. Its target-handling features are expected to improve the Navy’s ability to conduct repeatable trials while supporting the evaluation of increasingly advanced defense technologies.
