A newly delivered U.S. Navy Range Support Vessel is ready to take on specialized testing operations off the Southern California coast, and a DMW Model M145 marine crane is part of the equipment helping make that mission possible. Built by Marine Group Boat Works for the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, the new aluminum vessel will operate at the Point Mugu Sea Range, supporting the deployment and recovery of specialized targets used in weapons testing and evaluation. Mounted prominently on the vessel’s aft deck is a DMW M145 knuckle boom crane designed for demanding marine lifting applications.
What Is the New Navy Range Support Vessel Designed to Do?
Marine Group Boat Works constructed the Range Support Vessel at its Chula Vista, California, shipyard for operations at the Point Mugu Sea Range. The expansive test range covers approximately 36,000 square miles of Pacific coastal waters and supports developmental and operational testing involving missiles, electronic warfare systems, free-fall weapons, and other technologies.
The vessel was designed around that specialized mission. One of its most noticeable features is the large, unobstructed aft deck, which gives crews the working space needed to handle surface and aerial targets used during offshore testing.
That is also where the DMW Model M145 comes into the picture.
Where Is the DMW Model M145 Located on the Vessel?
The DMW Model M145 is mounted toward the rear of the vessel on the open aft deck, where it can support target handling and other mission-related operations. Its compact folded configuration also helps preserve valuable deck space when the crane is not in use.
That positioning is important for a vessel whose mission includes repeatedly putting specialized equipment into the water and bringing it back aboard.
According to reporting on the delivery, the Range Support Vessel’s heavy-duty hydraulic crane is specifically intended to support the deployment and recovery of targets during Navy testing operations.
For DMW Marine Group, seeing the M145 installed aboard a purpose-built Navy support vessel is a strong example of where marine crane design meets a very specific operational requirement.
What Makes the DMW M145 a Good Fit for Marine Operations?
The M145 belongs to DMW Marine Group’s line of knuckle boom marine cranes. DMW describes its knuckle boom series as a workhorse product line developed for applications that include military, Coast Guard, workboat, oceanographic, oilfield, and luxury yacht operations.
Knuckle boom cranes offer an advantage aboard working vessels because the articulated boom can provide controlled material handling while folding into a more compact configuration when not in use.
DMW’s knuckle boom designs can also incorporate telescopic boom sections for additional outreach. That combination of articulation, reach, and compact storage can be valuable on vessels where deck space must serve several purposes throughout a mission.
How Is the M145 Designed for the Marine Environment?
Equipment installed on a working vessel has to contend with conditions that simply do not exist in a land-based industrial setting. Moisture, saltwater exposure, constant vessel movement, and intensive operational demands all influence crane design.
The technical specifications for DMW’s M145E.20A Series reflect that environment. Standard features include special cylinders with nickel-chromium piston rods designed for marine conditions, along with stainless-steel hose fittings and piping in the hydraulic installation. The crane structure is also grit-blasted and metallized, then protected with multiple layers of primer and paint.
Safety equipment includes cylinder safety valves, a hydraulic load limiter, and an emergency stop. Optional configurations can include a hydraulic winch, remote control, cab, auxiliary hydraulic connections, and different hydraulic power unit choices.
These are not decorative details. On a working marine crane, every component has to contribute to reliable operation in an environment where equipment may be repeatedly exposed to harsh conditions.
How Much Reach Does the M145 Series Provide?
The M145 Series can be configured with different hydraulic outreach options depending on the specific model. DMW’s published technical data for the M145E.20A family shows maximum hydraulic outreach ranging from approximately 6.37 meters to 13.9 meters, depending on configuration.
That flexibility allows the crane platform to be adapted to different vessel layouts and material-handling requirements.
Do not assume the exact technical configuration installed on the Navy vessel based solely on the photograph. What can be confirmed is that the crane mounted on the aft deck is a DMW Model M145, and its placement supports the vessel’s target-handling mission.
Why Is Deck Equipment So Important on a Range Support Vessel?
A support vessel may not receive the same public attention as the weapons systems being evaluated at sea, but its equipment is essential to making those tests happen.
Targets and specialized equipment have to be moved, positioned, deployed, and recovered. Those tasks require a working deck designed around the mission and equipment capable of performing controlled lifting operations in a marine environment.
The new vessel combines its open aft working area with the integrated hydraulic crane specifically for that purpose.
Marine Group Boat Works also built the vessel to commercial American Bureau of Shipping class standards, and the shipbuilder reported completing the required U.S. Coast Guard inspections during construction and testing before delivery.
DMW Marine Group Is Proud to Be Part of the Mission
There is something especially rewarding about seeing a piece of DMW equipment installed on a newly completed vessel and knowing exactly what that equipment will be called upon to do.
The new Range Support Vessel was built to help the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division conduct sophisticated offshore testing at one of the Navy’s major sea ranges. Sitting on the aft deck, ready to support the deployment and recovery side of that mission, is the DMW Model M145.
For DMW Marine Group, it is another example of why marine cranes need to be more than capable lifting equipment. They need to be engineered around the vessel, the environment, the available deck space, and, most importantly, the job waiting for them at sea.
DMW Marine Group designs and supplies knuckle boom, telescopic boom, stiff-boom, and jib marine cranes for military, Coast Guard, oceanographic, workboat, and other demanding marine applications. Contact DMW Marine Group today to learn more about the M145 Series or discuss a marine crane solution engineered around your vessel and operational requirements.
