"McArthur" was built in 1966 by the Norfolk Shipbuilding and Drydock Company and served as the survey ship USC&GS "McArthur" (MSS 22) for the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey from 1966 to 1970 and as NOAAS "McArthur" (S 330) for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from 1970 until her decommissioning in 2003.