Al Krekich News

BAE Systems has appointed Bill Clifford as president of its Ship Repair business, effective April 1, 2008. Clifford will succeed Al Krekich, who will retire March 31, 2008, after serving as Ship Repair’s president for the past 10 years. As president, Clifford will lead the operation and grow the business, which provides ship maintenance and modernization services to U.S. Navy, government and commercial customers from shipyards in Norfolk, San Diego, San Francisco and Hawaii. Ship Repair also includes the Maritime Engineering & Services business area, headquartered in San Diego. Clifford has been with the company since 2004, when he served as president and general manager of Hawaii Shipyards, Inc., a United Defense Industries (UDI), Inc. company.

United Defense Industries, Inc. has completed its acquisition of the U.S. Navy ship repair business of Honolulu Shipyard Inc. (HSI) for $16.1 million. HSI had revenues of $40 million in 2003. The new company, Hawaii Shipyards, Inc., will continue to partner with Southwest Marine (SWM), a unit of United States Marine Repair (USMR), a UDI subsidiary. The Company recently announced a teaming agreement with Bath Iron Works, a subsidiary of General Dynamics, for work on the USS CHAFEE (DDG 90), home ported in Hawaii. "I welcome the HSI team to our family of shipyards," said Al Krekich, president of USMR. "We look forward to working with this well-established, talented group of ship repair professionals.

United Defense Industries announced that it has agreed to acquire closely held United States Marine Repair, Inc., a provider of non-nuclear ship repair, modernization, overhaul and conversion services to the United States Navy, for $316 million. Based in Norfolk, Va., United States Marine Repair serves defense and commercial customers at six strategically located ship repair operations in the major ports of Norfolk, Va.; San Diego, San Francisco and San Pedro, Calif.; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; and Ingleside, Texas. In addition to the company's primary customer, the U.S. Navy, its current customers include the Military Sealift Command, the U.S. Army, the Maritime Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard, and commercial cruise lines such as Holland-America and Royal Caribbean.

BAE Systems has won a $19 million contract from the U.S. Navy’s Southwest Regional Maintenance Center to refurbish and upgrade the ARCO (ARDM-5) floating drydock so it can service the Navy’s new Virginia-class nuclear-powered fast attack submarines. The company will perform drydocking and pierside work on the ARCO at both Naval Base Point Loma and BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair. Work on the ARCO includes painting the drydock’s underwater hull, sides and tanks, reinforcing structural bulkheads, replacing and renewing switchboards, and upgrading the automated docking and centering system. All work is scheduled for completion in June 2008. The ARCO measures 492 feet long, 98 feet wide, and has a lifting capacity of 7,800 long tons.

BAE Systems won a contract by the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Fleet Support Command for a 60-day overhaul of the fast combat support ship USNS Arctic (T-AOE 8). The contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of the work package to $7.9 million. All work on the Military Sealift Command ship will be performed at BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair starting in July and is expected to be completed in September 2007. USNS Arctic's primary mission is to rapidly replenish Navy task forces and carry more than 177,000 barrels of oil; 2,150 tons of ammunition; 500 tons of dry stores; and 250 tons of refrigerated stores.

BAE Systems won a $1.7m contract for the routine overhaul of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Munro (WHEC 724). Work on the Munro, which will begin in June and is scheduled for completion in August, includes repairs to the vessel’s machinery, piping, sea valves and propulsion systems, as well as hull preparation and preservation. All work will be performed at BAE Systems Ship Repair in San Francisco. “The Coast Guard does the important work of defending our maritime borders and ensuring our safety at sea,” said Al Krekich, president, BAE Systems Ship Repair. “It’s an honor to play a small part in that effort by maintaining the vessels which enable them to carry out these missions. While the U.S.

The amphibious transport dock ship USS San Antonio (LPD 17), the first in its class, gets assistance from a tugboat as it prepared to moor at its new homeport at Naval Station Norfolk, Va. in 2006. BAE Systems has been awarded a contract by the Naval Sea Systems Command for work on two LPD-17 San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships, USS New Orleans (LPD 18) and USS Green Bay (LPD 20). The three-year contract, with an initial value of $11.3 million, is for fitting out availability (FOA) and post shakedown availability (PSA) work on both ships from 2007-2009. Work on the USS New Orleans FOA, is tentatively scheduled to begin in May.

BAE Systems announced the award of a $3.8m contract to its San Diego shipyard by Military Sealift Fleet Support Command (MSFSC). The contract for the USNS BRIDGE (T-AOE 10) Mid-Term Availability (MTA) is scheduled to be performed this summer. If all options are exercised by MSFSC, the contract could exceed $4.8 million. The 754-foot long USNS BRIDGE, one of four Fast Combat Support Ships, carries a crew of 160 civilians and 28 Sailors. These support ships are Military Sealift Command's largest combat logistics vessels and are part of the 36-ship Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force. The ships carry oil, ammunition and dry and refrigerated stores and are capable of rapidly replenishing Navy carrier strike groups.