A maritime lift with a racing twist
On a recent deployment at Naval Base Coronado, the U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command teamed with the motorsports world to place a NASCAR‑styled vehicle onto the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. The maneuver required a 110‑ton Link‑Belt rough‑terrain crane, whose hydraulic power and precision made the lift possible.
The operation was framed as a bridge between the military and the San Diego community, highlighting NAVFAC’s ability to integrate civilian engineering resources into unique, high‑visibility projects that capture public imagination.
Link‑Belt’s heavy‑lift heritage
Link‑Belt Cranes, headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, supplied the specialized crane used in the Coronado lift. The company is known for designing both telescopic and lattice‑boom models that serve construction sites worldwide, and it has pursued a decade‑long program of incremental improvement in strength and efficiency.
The same crane lineage found a different arena a few weeks later, when three Link‑Belt lattice crawler units were mobilized for a $32.5 million flood‑prevention initiative near Minneapolis.
Infrastructure impact in the Midwest
The project, overseen by the Minnesota Department of Transportation and executed by contractor S.M. Hentges & Sons, involved replacing the aging Rush River Bridge and constructing an overflow span. Deploying nearly 9,000 feet of piling, the crawler cranes demonstrated how heavy‑lift equipment can address critical infrastructure needs, reinforcing the company’s reputation for reliability in both military and public‑works contexts.
Broader implications
The collaboration underscores a growing trend of cross‑industry partnerships, where entertainment‑focused sectors and defense engineering join forces to test and showcase equipment under unconventional conditions. Such events not only generate public interest but also provide real‑world data that can inform future design refinements.