Norfolk Shipbuilding News

The Great Lakes Towing Company announces the addition of Nikita Skeeter, a maritime professional with over 25 years of experience in shipbuilding and production management, as General Manager of Great Lakes Shipyard. Skeeter’s management experience includes multiple, simultaneous shipyard projects with budgets up to $1 billion, as well as responsibilities for more than 400 maritime professionals and production tradesmen including: Design, engineering, welding and pipefitting, electrical, painting, carpentry and more.

A down economy, a disabled drydock and a nation under heightened security measures — not exactly the best position for a ship repair facility to be in — or so one would think. Norfolk Shipbuilding & Drydock Corporation (NORSHIPCO) however has managed to stay on top with its steady stream of government and commercial work coming in into its yard. With 70 percent of NORSHIPCO's work on the government side, the yard has still had a steady stream of commercial work. According to Krekich, the work that was performed on MSC ship M/V SSG Edward A. Carter was successful in terms of schedule, costs and customer satisfaction. The 950-ft. (289.5 m) vessel, which arrived at NORSHIPCO on March 1, 2001, is under a long-term charter to MSC.

Norfolk Shipbuilding and Drydock Corp., Norfolk, Va., is being awarded a $21,975,514 fixed-price contract for the drydocking phased maintenance availability of the USS Bataan (LHD-5). Work involves miscellaneous repairs, including drydocking. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Va., and is expected to be completed by October 2004. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured and advertised via the Internet, with three proposals solicited and three offers received. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, USN, Portsmouth, Va., is the contracting activity (N62678-04-C-4019).

Norfolk Shipbuilding & Drydock Corp., Norfolk, Va., is being awarded a $5,737,080 firm-fixed-price contract for a drydocking selected restricted availability on USS Nicholas (FFG-47). Work includes miscellaneous structural, electrical, and mechanical repairs including shipalts, alterations equivalent to repairs, and drydocking. Work will be performed in Norfolk, and is expected to completed by June 2002. Contract funds in the amount of $5,737,080 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Internet, with five proposals solicited and three offers received. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, U.S. Navy, Portsmouth, Va., is the contracting activity (N62678-02-C-2035).

The National Ship Repair Coalition (NSRC) launched its third multi-media presentation to support the “What Have You Done for the Fleet Today?” campaign. The latest installment of this campaign can be viewed online at http://www.nationalshiprepair.com by clicking on the “What Have You Done for the Fleet Today?” banner. This month’s presentation features the work of Annette Sison and Louise Cutler, both of whom work at U.S. Marine Repair Shipyards. Sison originally joined Southwest Marine as a laborer and is proud to be an integral part of the company, which is an industry leader in ship repair, maintenance, and conversion. Cutler joined the Navy support team at Norfolk Shipbuilding and Drydock Corporation (NORSHIPCO) in September 1977…

Norfolk Shipbuilding & Drydocking Corp. for the conversion of fast combat support ship USNS Arctic. USNS Arctic was transferred from U.S. the Military Sealift Command fleet. systems. $6,750,897. to be completed in January 2002. the end of the current fiscal year. offers received. The U.S. (N62381-02-C-2027).

Norfolk Shipbuilding and Drydock Corp., Norfolk, Va., is being awarded a $7,671,568 fixed-price contract for a docking selected restricted availability on USS Ramage (DDG 61). The work will also include miscellaneous repairs. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Va., and is to be completed by November 2002. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Internet, with three proposals solicited and three offers received. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, U.S. Navy, Portsmouth, Va., is the contracting activity (N62678-02-C-2077).

Norfolk Shipbuilding & Drydock Corp., Norfolk, Va., is being awarded a $12,213,324 fixed-price contract for the Phased Maintenance Availability of USS Whidbey Island (LSD-41). Work will be performed in Norfolk and is to be completed by February 2003. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured and advertised via the Internet, with five proposals solicited and two offers received. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, U.S. Navy, Portsmouth, Va., is the contracting activity (N62678-02-C-2081).

The Navy awarded the East Coast Multi/Ship Multi Option (MS/MO) contract on Dec. 20 to Norfolk Shipbuilding and Drydock Corporation (NORSHIPCO) for DDG docking maintenance availabilities along with their associated non-docking availabilities. The contract is a Cost Plus Award Fee contract type with hull specific maintenance availabilities, as well as Inter-availability Maintenance. "This contract transforms the way the Navy does maintenance and provides the Navy greater flexibility to support surge deployment vice the previous rotational posture," commented Rear Adm. Charles Hamilton, Program Executive Officer-Ships. This contracting strategy allows the Navy to align contracting methodologies between coasts and make the most efficient use of current resources by establishing flexible…

Norfolk Shipbuilding & Drydock Corp. (NORSHIPCO), Norfolk, Va., is being awarded an $11,050,533 firm-fixed-price contract for ship repair overhaul and drydock to support USNS Humphreys, a fleet replenishment oiler. This contract contains options, which if exercised, would bring the total cumulative value of the contract to $13,268,967. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Va., and is expected to be completed by June 2005. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with seven proposals solicited and three offers received. The U.S. Navy's Sealift Logistics Command Atlantic, Virginia Beach, Va., is the contracting authority (N62381-05-C-2021).

Norfolk Shipbuilding & Drydock Corp. (NORSHIPCO), Norfolk, Va., is being awarded an $11,050,533 firm-fixed-price contract for ship repair overhaul and drydock to support USNS Humphreys, a fleet replenishment oiler. This contract contains options, which if exercised, would bring the total cumulative value of the contract to $13,268,967. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Va., and is expected to be completed by June 2005. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with seven proposals solicited and three offers received. The U.S. Navy's Sealift Logistics Command Atlantic, Virginia Beach, Va., is the contracting authority (N62381-05-C-2021).

While much of the focus is trained on Naval new construction, the fact is that repair and maintenance on the existing U.S. Navy fleet has reached condition critical.Cutbacks from the Navy have left many vessels of its 300-member fleet to go without required repairs and maintenance because the money is not budgeted. Yards may however, find some relief at the end of this month, dependent upon whether Congress passes a supplemental bill for additional funding. Already five months into the government's fiscal year and ship repair yards have not seen a cent of additional funding from the Navy for the maintenance and repair of its fleet.

Foss 3,000 hp tug Sidney Foss was dispatched from Seattle to tow USNS Shasta from San Diego to Norfolk Shipbuilding and Drydock Corp. (Norshipco), located in Norfolk, Va. USNS Shasta measures 564 x 81 ft. Shasta is a U.S. Navy Ammunition Ship, and is being transferred to Military Sealift Command (MSC) for utilization. Norshipco will perform substantial modifications to the ship's house structure at its Norfolk yard, and will convert Navy berthing and office compartments to configurations meeting MSC requirements.

B. Edward Ewing, CEO of Norfolk-based United States Marine Repair (USMR), the largest non-nuclear ship repair, modernization and conversion company in the U.S., announced that Monty Dickinson will head USMR's West and Gulf Coast Shipyards. Dickinson joined USMR last January as president and general manager of the company's San Diego-based shipyard, Southwest Marine. In addition to managing that yard, Dickinson will spearhead leadership and operations of SWM's San Pedro, Calif. and Ingleside, Texas shipyards and San Francisco Drydock in the Bay area. Previously COO Alexander J. Krekich managed all shipyard operations. Under the new structure…

Norfolk Shipbuilding & Drydock Corp., Norfolk, Va., is being awarded an $8,409,850 fixed-price contract for the Phased Maintenance Availability of USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44). Work includes miscellaneous structural, electrical, and mechanical repairs including ship alterations, and alterations equivalent to repairs. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Va., and is expected to be completed by June 2002. Contract funds in the amount of $8,409,850 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Internet, with seven proposals solicited and four offers received. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, USN, Portsmouth, Va., is the contracting activity.