SS Flickertail State (T-ACS-5)

SS Flickertail State (T-ACS-5) is a crane ship in ready reserve for the United States Navy. She is stationed at Newport News, Virginia and is in ready reserve under the Military Sealift Command. The ship was named for the state of North Dakota, which is also known as the Flickertail State.

The ship was built by the Bath Iron Works. Her keel was laid on 14 February 1967, launched on 11 May 1968, and delivered 21 February 1969 as CV Lightning (MA-206).

Lightning was acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Administration in 1986 and was converted throughout 1987. She re-entered service as Flickertail State on 9 February 1988, and has been in ready reserve since 1993.

Large vessel interface lift on/lift off
In 2009, a demonstrator crane was installed and integrated aboard the SS Flickertail State to evaluate the crane's performance in transporting containers between two moving ships in an operational environment using commercial and oil industry at-sea mooring techniques,at sea in the Gulf of Mexico. Developed by the Sea Warfare and Weapons Department in the Office of Naval Research along with Oceaneering International, the crane has sensors and cameras as well as motion-sensing algorithms that let it automatically shift with the rolling and pitching of the sea, making it much easier for operators to center the crane over cargo and transfer it. The LVI Lo/Lo, developed by the Sea Warfare and Weapons Department of the Office of Naval Research along with Oceaneering International.