US defence shipbuilder Vigor Marine Group unveiled USAV Craney Island on August 11, the second maneuver support vessel (light) constructed for the US Army.
The vessel is scheduled for delivery in autumn and is designed to provide greater payload capacity, speed, maneuverability and operational flexibility than the current class.
The all-aluminium vessel features a purpose-designed hull, drive-through bow and stern ramps, lightweight construction and waterjet propulsion. Its shallow draught is intended to support littoral operations and movement in coastal waters.
Vigor Marine Chief Executive Officer Francesco Valente said completion of the vessel marked a milestone for the US Army and the company's workforce in Vancouver, Washington.
Development of USAV Craney Island incorporated lessons from testing of the prototype vessel SSG Elroy F. Wells, which was launched in 2022 and subsequently evaluated in the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii.
Vigor Marine's Vancouver facility is now in full-rate production of the vessel's hulls while continuing construction of combatant craft medium vessels. More than 30 of the latter have been produced at the facility.
