Gunderson Marine built and launched the 260-foot Mobile Ship Target, known as MST-2 and designated MST 2301, in Portland, Oregon, in July 2025 for builder’s sea trials. After completing those trials, the ship was delivered to the Navy for operational outfitting.
At Port Hueneme, NAWCWD teams will equip MST 2301 with a government-developed remote-control system installed by the Threat Target Systems Department’s seaborne engineering team. “Once complete, the MST will give us a safe, repeatable way to run some of the toughest weapons tests the fleet depends on,” said Kevin Gross, director, Threat Target Systems Department.
Designed for long-term use, MST-2 will support sensor and tracking evaluations as well as live-fire events involving weapons launched from ships or aircraft. The ship will replace the Advanced Target Launch System, also known as MST-1 (MST 9301), which is being removed from government ownership after decades of service.
“This is about giving Sailors and Marines confidence,” said Rear Adm. Keith Hash, commander, Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division. “When they go into harm’s way, they need to trust their systems completely. The MST lets us prove that trust under the most realistic conditions possible.”
NAWCWD expects MST 2301 to complete outfitting and begin supporting weapons testing in early 2026. The ship’s size, speed and reconfigurable design are intended to provide a flexible platform for evaluating future naval capabilities.
Source: NAVAIR.
