Service Support

Service Support (PM4)
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Ship Types

Fleet ocean tugs provide the Navy fleet with towing service and can tow ships as large as an aircraft carrier. When augmented by Navy divers, fleet ocean tugs assist in the recovery of downed aircraft and stranded or grounded ships. These ships can also perform submarine rescue operations when carrying specialized equipment.

Rescue and salvage ships recover objects from the sea, tow or de-beach stranded vessels and provide firefighting assistance. Like fleet ocean tugs, these ships are able to lift objects as heavy as downed aircraft and stranded or grounded ships. A key advantage of these ships is their ability to rapidly deploy divers to conduct rescue and salvage operations.

The Service Support Program operates our Navy's two hospital ships, each containing 12 operating rooms and up to 1,000 beds. The ships are normally kept pier side in reduced operating status. When called into action, they can get underway in five days with an expanded crew of more than 60 CIVMARs and up to approximately 1,200 military medical personnel.

One cable laying/repair ship transports, deploys, retrieves and repairs undersea cables. Built specifically for the Navy, the ship can lay up to 1,000 miles of cable in depths up to 9,000 feet during a single deployment before having to restock its cable supply.

Submarine tenders USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) and USS Frank Cable (AS 40) transferred to MSC in 2008 and 2010, respectively. Like USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) and interim afloat forward staging base USS Ponce, the tenders use a hybrid crewing structure.

USS Ponce fulfills a longstanding U.S. Central Command request for an afloat forward staging base capability in the region. Formerly a dock landing ship, Ponce is capable of supporting mine counter-measure and coastal support ships, and aircraft operations.

With advanced command, control, communication and computer capabilities, command ship Mount Whitney serves as the U.S. 6th Fleet flagship with the hybrid crewing structure.