Ake News

Detyens Shipyards has been awarded a contract for a 62-calendar day shipyard availability for a regular overhaul of Military Sealift Command's (MSC) fleet ordnance and dry cargo USNS William Mclean (T-AKE 12).The $8,035,948 firm, fixed-price contract includes a base period and two unexercised options which, if exercised, would increase the cumulative value of this contract to $8,137,348.Work will be performed in North Charleston, S.C., beginning March 15, 2024, and is expected to be completed by May 16…

Mobile, Ala. based Alabama Shipyard has been awarded a contract for the dry docking of the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC) dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS Sacagawea (T-AKE 2).The $21,955,104‬ firm-fixed-price contract for the 123-calendar day shipyard availability includes a base period and options, which if exercised, would bring the cumulative value to $22,163,078‬.Work will begin June 15, 2023, and is expected to be completed by October 15, 2023.The 689-foot-long…

The U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command (MSC) has awarded GE Power Conversion an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract to maintain the electric and hybrid electric power and propulsion systems aboard its vessels. The five-year contract potentially could be worth $125 million.The contract covers maintenance, modernization and upgrades, training, repairs, parts, remote technical support, and program management on 35 vessels, with more ships to be added as they are built and turned over to MSC after commissioning.

New Lighting Technology offers bright ideas for better interior and exterior lighting that saves money, manpowerThe U.S. Navy is leaving traditional lighting behind for Solid State Lighting (SSL) with very long-life solid-state light-emitting diode (LED) lighting. Technology has illuminated new ways to light ships that are safer, more efficient and more affordable. Taking advantage of the new technology has its challenges, such as finding cost effective lighting that is rugged…

AdvanTec Marine said its USA Sliding Doors division has been awarded a contract from Seaspan Shipyards to supply Fire-Rated, Class II and III Watertight doors for both Joint Support Ships (JSS) that Seaspan is building for the Royal Canadian Navy under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy.The order includes USA-1005 Cargo Doors and the USA-1003 Personnel Doors. Both models have remote (wheelhouse) and local controls, both electric, while the drive system is electro-hydraulic. In the event vessel power is lost, a local manual handpump is also provided as a failsafe feature.

The U.S. Navy’s first Yard Tug (YT) 808 class tug recently delivered to Naval Base Kitsap, Bremerton Annex. Only 17 days after delivery, YT 808 was in the water assisting USNS Richard Byrd (T-AKE 4) as it moved away from the dock at Naval Magazine Indian Island.“Narrowing the gap between delivery and providing operational support is a priority for our team,” said Mike Kosar, program manager of Support Ships, Boats, and Craft Program Office within Program Executive Office Ships (PEO Ships).

No personnel were injured when a U.S. Navy guided-missile cruiser and dry cargo ship made contact during an underway replenishment off the southeastern coast of the United States, Feb. 5.USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55) and USNS Robert E. Peary (T-AKE 5) were able to safely operate after the incident. Damage will be assessed when the ships pull into port.The ships had been conducting a replenishment-at-sea when the sterns touched at approximately 4 p.m. Eastern Standard time.U.S. Fleet…

USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) returned July 25 to its homeport at Naval Station Norfolk for the first time in nearly a year, following the completion of sea trials. "Sea trials is a five-day underway that pushes the limits of the ship; a true shakedown," said Truman's Executive Officer Capt. Cassidy Norman. "Everything we've done for the past year has been building up to this moment. Team Truman navigated through the sea trials checklist completing a number of evolutions, including small boat recoveries, testing Aqueous Film-Forming Foam sprinkler systems, high-speed turns, catapult testing and a simulated replenishment-at-sea alongside USNS Medgar Evers (T-AKE 13). "This is the big leagues now," said ship's boatswain, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Erik Allison.

The U.S. Navy has a balanced fleet, but it wants to grow bigger and better. Will the budget allow both? Maritime Reporter's March 2017 cover story on the U.S. Navy was all about the numbers. There exists several plans to grow the fleet beyond the current number of 308 ships, the Mitre recommendation of 414 ships, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment 340-ship proposal, and the Navy’s decision to grow the fleet to 355 ships, and the Trump administration’s 350. With so many numbers being bandied about, there are even more suggestions on how to get there.

Frederick J. Harris, recently retired president of General Dynamics NASSCO and Bath Iron Works shipyards, has joined the operating executive board (OEB) of private equity firm J.F. Lehman & Company. The OEB is a group of industry and government executives with significant experience in the firm’s target industries. Through key relationships and sector-specific knowledge, OEB members contribute to sourcing and evaluating transactions, advising on portfolio company strategy and recruiting senior level portfolio company management.

Vigor Marine LLC, Portland, Oregon, is being awarded a $10,268,877 firm-fixed-price contract for a 45-calendar day shipyard availability for the regular overhaul and dry docking of USNS Matthew Perry (T-AKE 9). Work will include clean and gas-free tanks, voids, cofferdams and spaces, deckhouse preservation, main generator maintenance and cleaning, high voltage switchboard and emergency switchboard cleaning, shell and deck steel replacement, dry-docking and undocking, propeller shaft and stern tube inspect, forward and aft stern tube seal inspection and overhaul, underwater hull cleaning and painting, freeboard cleaning and painting,  sea valve replacements, renew flight deck nonskid, and reverse osmosis unit sea-chest installation.

Detyens Shipyards Inc. said it was awarded a $13.6 million firm-fixed-price contract for a 60-calendar day shipyard availability for the regular overhaul and dry-docking of U.S. Navy’ Military Sealift Command (MSC) cargo ship USNS Medgar Evers (T-AKE 13). According to the shipyard, work will include clean and gas-free tanks, voids, cofferdams and spaces, deckhouse preservation, main generator maintenance and cleaning, high-voltage switchboard and emergency switchboard cleaning…

“While replenishments-at-sea are routine, astern refueling is unique and requires precise navigation and coordination,” said Lt. Cmdr. Jason Ileto, fleet replenishment scheduler for Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific. An astern replenishment-at-sea was conducted by Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship Pioneer and Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE 4) in waters south of Japan, August 24. During normal replenishment evolutions, ships fueled at sea typically connect to each other alongside.

1822 - USS Grampus investigates and pursues a brig flying Spanish colors. When called upon to surrender, the privateer brig Palmyra from Puerto Rico fires cannon and musket fire. USS Grampus fires back on Palmyras broadsides reducing Palmyras rigging to a complete wreck, killing one and wounding six. The brig surrenders with a crew of 88, one long 18-pounder gun and eight 18-pound carronades. Her officers acknowledge they had robbed the American schooner USS Coquette. 1863 - During the Civil War…

1943 - USS Permit (SS 178), USS Snook (SS 279) and USS Sawfish (SS 276) damage two Japanese ships and sink two freighters and a gunboat. 1944 - The hospital ship, USS Comfort (AH-6), is commissioned at San Pedro, Calif., and is the first ship to be manned jointly by U.S. Army and U.S. Navy personnel. 1948 - Fighter Squadron Seventeen A (VF-17A), with 16 FH-1 Phantoms, becomes the first carrier-qualified jet squadron in the U.S. Navy. 1961 - Cmdr. Alan Shepard Jr. makes the first U.S. manned space flight. USS Lake Champlain (CVS-39) recovers the capsule after the 15 minute flight.

1822 - Crew from the schooner Enterprise capture and burn seven small pirate vessels off Cape Antonio, Cuba. 1862 - The ironclad CSS Virginia destroys the wooden ships USS Cumberland and USS Congress in Hampton Roads, Virginia. 1943 - PBY-5 Catalinas from VP-53 sink German submarine U 156 east-northeast of Trinidad. 1945 - Phyllis Daley becomes the first African-American ensign in the Navy Nurse Corps and serves at the Naval Dispensary at Boston, Mass. 1945 - Navy patrol bombers hit a Japanese convoy, sinking cargo vessel No. 21 Yusen Maru in Formosa Strait. 1950 - Operation Portrex begins.

Ships assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 26 pulled into Faslane, Scotland, ready to commence Exercise Joint Warrior 15-1, April 9. DESRON 26 arrived in Faslane with guided-missile cruiser USS Anzio (CG 68) and guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78), ready to participate in Joint Warrior, a semi-annual training exercise conducted in the coastal waters off the United Kingdom. The training, led by the United Kingdom, is designed to provide NATO and allied forces a multiwarfare environment in which to prepare for global operations. Participating countries aim to improve interoperability and prepare forces for future combined exercises.

Detyens Shipyards, Inc. has been awarded a $15,812,647 firm-fixed-price contract from the U. S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command for a 75-calendar day shipyard availability for the regular overhaul and drydocking of USNS Lewis and Clark (T-AKE 1). Work will include bridge equipment annual service, main diesel generator overhaul, life raft annual certification, drydocking, propeller shaft inspection, underwater hull cleaning and painting, freeboard cleaning and painting, overhaul sea valves, blast and coat tanks and renew flight deck non-skid.

General Dynamic’s NASSCO in San Diego arguably has the most diverse and enviable shipbuilding backlog in the U.S., with its navy and commercial orderbook stretching out for three years. With the yard humming at record pace, we sat down with Kevin Graney, VP & GM in San Diego to discuss how he and his team intend to keep the momentum rolling forward. General Dynamics National Steel & Shipbuilding Co. – NASSCO – has quietly become the face of U.S. shipbuilding, deftly balancing a newbuild and repair workload with the U.S.

'USNS Richard E. Byrd' (T-AKE 4), a Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship, rescued 9 crew members from a Yemeni-flagged cargo vessel 'Asaed' that had lost power, was taking in water and was adrift in the Gulf of Oman, according to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs. The crew from Asaed requested assistance and Byrd was the first ship on scene. The crew of the Yemini vessel abandoned in their ship's lifeboat and maneuvered to the military ship, where they were safely recovered. There are no reports of casualties or injuries to personnel. The Yemeni sailors are being further evaluated by Byrd's medical team. The Navy will coordinate the sailors' transfer ashore. USNS Richard E. Byrd is currently on a scheduled deployment to the U.S.

Rain mixed with sunny spells last week in most of Ivory Coast's main cocoa regions helped the development of plentiful small pods, suggesting a strong start to the next main crop as the mid-crop tails off, farmers said on Monday. The mid-crop opened on April 1 in the world's top cocoa grower and harvesting traditionally starts to decline from mid-July. The main crop of the 2014-2015 season will begin in October and runs until March. With flowers already proliferating on plantations, farmers said they now were looking for adequate rainfall mixed with sunny spells to allow the development of many of these buds into small pods to boost the upcoming main crop.

Heavy rains last week in the coastal and southern regions of Ivory Coast's main cocoa growing zone threatened the last stage of the April-to-September mid-crop, farmers said on Monday, though conditions remained good elsewhere. The marketing season for the mid-crop in the world's top cocoa grower opened on April 1 and harvesting is expected to decline from mid-July. Farmers said the focus of growers' concern over the weather was switching to the main crop. "There is too much rain. There's water everywhere in the camps.

U.S. Department of Defense announces the award of a Navy US$10,354,523 contract to BAE Systems San Francisco Ship Repair, San Francisco, California, for work on the USNS  Wally Schirra (T-AKE 8). The firm-fixed-price contract is for a 58-calendar day regular overhaul and dry docking availability of USNS Wally Schirra. Work will include inspection of the propeller shaft and stern tube, bow thruster repairs, installation of the cloropac unit, upgrades to the electronic chart display and information system radar, underwater hull cleaning and painting, modification to the anchor windlass foundation and removal, repair and re-installation of hazardous material containers.