USS Current was built as a Diver Class repair & salvage vessel. Dimensions were 213.5 feet, length over all, with a beam of 39 feet. The standard displacement was 1,530 tons. The full load displacement was 1,900 tons with a draft of 14.8 feet. Flank speed was approximately 15 knots.

Propulsion was diesel electric with twin shafts, powered by four, 8 cylinder inline Cooper Bessemer GSB-8 main engines each generating 750 horse power at 450 RPM. FS-6 200 KW generators were used for the ship's electrical service. Current was also built using a Farrel-Birmingham Main Reduction Gear.

Two, six cylinder Cooper Bessemer diesel engines were used for auxiliary power. A Gray Marine 6-71 diesel was available as an emergency backup. Current was also equipped with two 600 p.s.i diesel starting compressors, three, 3 stage divers air compressors and a diver's recompression chamber on board.

Current was originally equipped with two Babcock and Wilcox water tube boilers for the ship's steam service, but were replaced during the 1963-1964 dry-docking overhaul with two Clayton steam generators as well as a solo shell double effect evaporator for the production of fresh water.

Current's capacities included 100,000 gallons of diesel fuel, 15,000 gallons of lubricating oil, 10,000 gallons of gasoline and 20,000 gallons of fresh water.

The ship carried 8 sets of beach gear, a standard towing winch with 2 inch stainless steel wire cable and several portable Caterpillar compressors, welders and pumps from 4 inch to 10 inch diameter.

The original main armament consisted of three twin 40mm anti-aircraft gun mounts and four 50 caliber machine guns during World War ll and Korea, but was reduced to a single 40mm gun mount during the 1963-1964 dry-docking and shipyard overhaul. 

Current carried a war time crew complement of 120.