SALVAGE:  A disabled ship may require varied assistance before towing can be attempted.  In her 21,000 cubic feet salvage hold, the USNS GRAPPLE carries transportable cutting and welding equipment, hydraulic and electronic power sources, de-watering gear, salvage and machine shops, and hull repair materials to effect temporary hull repairs on stranded or otherwise damaged ships.  USNS GRAPPLE also has a 7 1/2 ton capacity boom forward and a 40 ton capacity boom aft to off-load a disabled ship, and handle heavy equipment during salvage operations.

DIVING:  The Mark 21 (MK 21) air diving system provides USNS GRAPPLE divers with the capability of tethered diving to depths of 190 feet of seawater on air and, with the use of a Fly-Away Mixed Gas System, depths of 300 feet of seawater on helium-oxygen mixtures.  For shallow underwater inspections, searches, and other tasks that require mobility, divers can use SCUBA.  The onboard recompression chamber is used for treatment of divers suffering from decompression sickness or for routine surface decompression.

TOWING:  USNS GRAPPLE is capable of both rescue, and open ocean towing.  The ship can develop a bollard pull of 120,000 lbs with an installed double drum towing machine rove with 3,000 feet of 2 1/4 inch wire rope on each drum.  The ship also has a traction winch for limited towing using a synthetic hawser.

BEACH GEAR:  A stranded vessel may be retracted from the beach using up to six sets of beach gear and Stato anchors carried by USNS GRAPPLE.  Two beach gear ground legs can be rigged on board USNS GRAPPLE, and up to four beach gear ground legs can be rigged on the stranded vessel.  Utilizing modified legs of beach gear and the large spring bouys, USNS GRAPPLE can lay a multi-point open ocean moor to station herself for diving and ROV operations.

OFF SHIP FIRE FIGHTING:  There are fire monitors located at the forward and aft ends of the O4 level (above the pilothouse).  A third fire monitor is located on the forecastle.  These monitors are supplied with up to 1000 gallons per minute of either seawater or aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) to fight fires on other ships.

HEAVY LIFT:  The heavy lift system is made up of bow and stern rollers, deck machinery, and tackle.  The rollers provide a low friction fairlead for the lift wires or chain.  The deck machinery and tackle supply the required hauling force of up to 150 tons, 75 tons to each lift.  The two main bow rollers or the two stern rollers, each carrying one-half of the load, are used to accomplish lifts to 150 tons.  A static tidal lift of 300 tons can be made using the main bow rollers and stern rollers simultaneously with the tide.