Photo By Gregg Smith | The America-class amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7) arrives at Naval Weapons...... read more read more
SEAL BEACH, Calif. – In a major milestone more than a decade in the making, Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach (NWSSB) recently completed expanded operations at a new ammunition pier, which enables larger vessels to moor and meet fleet demands.
“Some of our base personnel have been working on this effort since 2011,” said Capt. Jessica O’Brien, commander, NWSSB. “We are all incredibly excited to see the fleet take advantage of these new capabilities.”
The America-class amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7) was the first “big deck” to complete an ammunition onload at NWSSB in late May.
“I’m proud that Tripoli was able to take part in this historic visit, and I know my team has been working incredibly hard to make it happen,” said Capt. Eddie Park, commanding officer, USS Tripoli. “This opens up a whole new era in logistics support to our amphibious fleet.”
Prior to completion of the new pier, larger amphibious assault ships were loaded with ammunition via helicopter off the coast of southern California in a process known as vertical replenishment, or VERTREP.
“Our new, expanded port complex began operations in April 2024,” said O’Brien. “It has already shown its value by allowing for the simultaneous support of two destroyer-sized vessels, with significantly improved efficiency, safety and security.”
The previous base wharf, built in 1954, could only accommodate one medium-sized ship at a time.
“Loading ships at the pier, instead of using helicopters, is estimated to save the Navy over $10 million per year,” said Jazmin Atencia, Plans, Programs & Readiness integrator. “When added with other savings, the pier project should pay for itself within five years.”
NWSSB is the key conventional munitions installation for the Navy’s Pacific Fleet surface ships. Its primary role is to store and maintain Navy and Marine Corps munitions, and load and unload Navy ships and larger Coast Guard vessels with the weapons they need to conduct their missions.
| Date Taken: | 06.13.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.13.2025 12:29 |
| Story ID: | 500568 |
| Location: | SEAL BEACH NAVAL WEAPONS STATION, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 114 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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