Norfolk Naval Shipyard News

Naval shipyards and industry partners see business growing, but finding enough trained and qualified workers is a challenge.General Dynamics Electric Boat will invest $1.7 billion to modernize and upgrade its Quonset, R.I. and Groton, Conn., facilities over the next ten years,” said Sean Davies , vice president for EB’s Quonset Point Operations. “Here at Quonset, we are investing $700 million that will increase our outfitting space by 13 acres, to support work on the Virginia and Columbia class of submarines.

Captain Dianna Wolfson took the helm Friday as the 110th commander of Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) and first female leader in its 253-year history.Wolfson also holds the distinction of becoming the first female commander of any of the nation’s four public shipyards when she assumed command in June 2019 of Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF).This marks her third NNSY tour, with previous assignments as Operations Officer and Project Superintendent for the USS Newport News (SSN 750) Engineered Overhaul.NNSY…

The commander of the U.S. Navy’s Norfolk Naval Shipyard has been ousted amid ongoing performance issues in repairing and modernizing the service's ships.Commander of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Vice Adm. Bill Galinis relieved Capt. Kai Torkelson, due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command, according to statement from the U.S. Navy.Rear Adm. Howard Markle, Director of NAVSEA’s Industrial Operations Directorate (SEA 04), has assumed duties as the acting commander until a permanent relief is named, the Navy said.

The U.S. Navy is mobilizing 1,629 Reservists to support aircraft carrier and submarine maintenance at its four public shipyards starting in July. This mobilization will help reduce the maintenance backlog that has developed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.In March, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) authorized weather and safety leave for shipyard personnel who fell under the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) "high risk" category for extreme complications tied to the COVID-19 virus.

Imagine conducting ship checks and training aboard a ship without ever leaving your office. At Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY), this has become a reality thanks to virtual reality.NNSY's Radiological Control Special Projects and Refueling Division (Code 105.26) has collaborated with the Nuclear Fluid Systems and Mechanical Engineering Division (Code 2320), the Nuclear Refueling Engineering Division (Code 2370), and Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) to create laser scans of vessels…

Oceaneering International Inc., Chesapeake, Virginia (N64498-19-D-0001); Huntington Ingalls Inc., Newport News, Virginia (N64498-19-D-0002); and General Dynamics Electric Boat, Groton, Connecticut (N64498-19-D-0003), are being awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity multiple award contracts with firm-fixed-priced ordering provisions for Submarine Safety (SUBSAFE) and Level I engineering and technical services in the amounts of $827,674,072; $874,341,811; and $1,110,350,671, respectively. This requirement is for management and technical services for the support installation, troubleshooting, repair, and maintenance of main and auxiliary weapons…

Metal Shark announced it has secured a contract to build three 120’ x 35’ river towboats for Florida Marine Transporters, Inc. (FMT), signalling the U.S. shipbuilder’s entry into the towboat market.The four-decked, welded-steel, USCG Subchapter “M”-compliant towboats were designed by John W. Gilbert Associates, Inc. and will be powered by twin Cat 3512C Tier 3 marine diesel engines rated at 1,911 HP each. Construction is underway at Metal Shark Alabama, with deliveries commencing in 2019.With the FMT contract…

Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Wyoming (SSBN-742) arrived at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) on January 9 for refueling and upgrades as part of a 27-month Engineered Refueling Overhaul (ERO). In a first for the shipyard, Enlisted Women at Sea ship alterations will be performed on board, modifying the layout of berthing areas. Other work will be similar to the shipyard's ERO currently being conducted on USS Rhode Island (SSBN-740), allowing the Wyoming project to leverage off experience gained during that overhaul project.

USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) departed Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) for Sea Trials July 21 following a 10-month Planned Incremental Availability (PIA). Truman's Commanding Officer, Capt. Ryan B. Scholl, praised ship forces, NNSY and civilian contractors for working together to stay on schedule and making an on-time departure from the shipyard. "The number one goal for this ship over the last year was making it better than when it arrived here," said Scholl. "This excitement, enthusiasm and teamwork is what propelled us out of the shipyard. Critical work during the availability, which began last September, included upgrades to the ship's internal and external communication network…

Capturing complex bends on pipes is an art form members of the Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) Pipe Group have harnessed for many years. Now entering a more modern era with a new dual-head pipe bending machine, NNSY is able to create more precise bends in a fraction of the time, thanks to modern, automated controls. Originally, pipe benders would have to work on a semiautomatic machine where everything would have to be measured exactly and each bend would have to be checked with a protractor to guarantee the needed dimensions were captured. It was tedious work and there was a risk of wasted material should the measurements not equate to what was needed.

General Dynamics NASSCO–Norfolk said it was awarded the Mid-Atlantic CVN private sector maintenance contract by the U.S. Navy to perform non-nuclear planning and maintenance work during six Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) availabilities on four Nimitz-class aircraft carriers and one Gerald R. Ford-class carrier, home-ported in or visiting Norfolk, Va. The five-year cost-plus-award-fee and incentive fee contract also includes the ability to provide for any continuing or emergent maintenance repairs on any of these East Coast aircraft carriers.

Norfolk Naval Shipyard successfully completed USS Maryland's (SSBN 738) engineered refueling overhaul (ERO) on Feb. 24. EROs are complex, major shipyard availabilities that extend a submarine's service life. In addition to being refueled, nearly all of the ship's systems were overhauled or modernized. Modernization work included replacement of distilling plants with a reverse osmosis unit, installation of an upgraded 500 kilowatt motor generator, electric power plant work, and LAN upgrades. The project team met several key milestones on this overhaul, including setting a new best for the shipyard in safety performance on an SSBN availability…

A tool designed by Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) employees will make servicing ships' breakers more efficient. Breakers prevent overloads and potential electrical fires in shipboard electrical systems. A Navy submarine typically contains 20 to 30 breakers, and an aircraft carrier has approximately 50. In order to service a breaker, a shipyard worker must flip the 540-pound unit repeatedly. The task is arduous, time consuming, and often requires several workers to accomplish the re-positioning in a safe manner. With the new tool, a single worker may maneuver the breaker with ease. The tool was the brainchild of NNSY Second Year Apprentice Adam Fahy. Fahy himself is no stranger to manual labor. In his spare time he enjoys working on cars and engines.

BAE Systems has named Joseph Campbell as vice president and general manager of the company’s Ship Repair business, effective Jan. 14. Campbell succeeds Bill Clifford, who will retire after a successful 46-year career in the U.S. Navy and the private sector. Campbell will be responsible for leading the strategy, operations and financial and business performance of Ship Repair, including the commercial shipbuilding operations. He previously served as vice president and director at American Systems Corporation, where he was responsible for undersea warfare and naval combatant programs.

The U.S. Navy awarded a contract, Dec. 22, for the towing and dismantling of the decommissioned aircraft carrier Ranger (CV 61) to International Shipbreaking, Ltd. Under the contract, the company will be paid $0.01, a price that reflects the net price proposed by International Shipbreaking, Inc., which considered the estimated proceeds from the sale of the scrap metal to be generated from dismantling. This is not a sales contract, it is a procurement contract; $0.01 is the lowest price the Navy could possibly have paid the contractor for towing and dismantling the ship.

The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike) has left dry dock and moved from Dry Dock 8 to pier 42/43 at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) in Portsmouth, Va. informs USN. USS Dwight D. Eisenhower  has been in dry dock since September 2013, conducting a scheduled docking planned incremental availability (DPIA) period. "Without the excellent work of the ship's team leaders and zone managers, the ship wouldn't have been ready when it was," said Lt. Cmdr. Jeremy James, Ike's maintenance manager. James said the ship's force and NNSY personnel worked well together, completing approximately 12,500 jobs prior to flooding the dock. Brian Bennett, the Ike DPIA project supervisor, said the undocking is the first of many major key events to come for the Ike project team.

Vice Adm. Phillip Cullom
Chief of Fleet Readiness & Logistics, lead coordinator on the Navy's additive manufacturing efforts, explains for those new to 3D printing why the Navy is interested in this technology, and what it is already contributing. Norfolk Naval Shipyard’s Rapid Prototype Lab is saving the Navy thousands of dollars on the Gerald R. Ford-class of aircraft carriers. Instead of traditional wood or metal mockups of ship alterations, which help to prevent expensive rework, the lab prints much cheaper plastic polymer models – in hours, rather than days or weeks. Now all four Navy shipyards have 3D printers working on similar, and other, ways to benefit the Navy.

The American Maritime Partnership (AMP) today joined with the Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Congressman Rob Wittman (R-Va.) and Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-Va.), to highlight new data that shows Virginia ranks first among all U.S. states in shipbuilding with 63,650 jobs, far and above any other state. These jobs pump more than $5.5 billion into Virginia’s economy every year. The U.S. shipyard industrial base in Virginia and across the nation is vital to America’s national and economic security. Private U.S.

Willard Marine, Inc. announced Monday that David “Smokey” Glover will join its east coast Virginia Beach facility as Director of Operations. Glover’s career in the maritime industry dates back to 1974 when he completed a four-year apprenticeship as marine machinist for Norfolk Naval Shipyard. He went on to work as both a shipbuilder and operational manager with SUPSHIP Portsmouth and Bluewater Yacht Sales before dedicating 13 years to the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Combatant Craft Division (NSWC CCD) as a Mechanical Engineer Technician.

After back-to-back deployments, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN69) (IKE) will be headed to Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth for some necessary maintenance during a scheduled docking planned incremental availability (DPIA) period. A DPIA period is a time for a ship to undergo work and to receive needed improvements to maintain its optimal running efficiency. Over the course of the DPIA, IKE will go through both ship's-force maintenance and contractor work to obtain this goal.

Carnival Cruise Lines has appointed four esteemed maritime and transportation industry experts – Rear Admiral Mark H. Buzby, Rear Admiral Joseph F. Campbell, Ray Valeika and Dr. John K. Lauber -- to the company's new Safety & Reliability Review Board. As part of Carnival's comprehensive fleetwide technical enhancement program, the review board was created to provide independent third-party perspective and to drive continuous improvement across the line's fleet. The core objectives of the board are to review Carnival Cruise Lines' current policies…

The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) changed command in Norfolk on August 5. Capt. Tushar R. Tembe relieved Capt. Joseph M. Clarkson as Truman's commanding officer during a ceremony at the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center at Nauticus museum. Tembe, the new commanding officer, said he intends to take what he has learned while previously serving as a commanding officer and apply it to leading the ship and crew to further success. "Today belongs to Joe and Sandy Clarkson," said Tembe. "You two have had a very successful command tour and have poured your heart and souls into Truman over the past two-and-a-half years and it shows over every inch of the ship and her crew. Tembe reported to Truman in July 2011.

The U.S. Navy has awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat a $16.6 million contract to support nuclear aircraft carrier repair work at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Va.  Electric Boat is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).U nder the terms of the contract, Electric Boat will provide about 100 skilled trades workers to perform maintenance and repair work on USS Truman (CVN-75) and USS George W. Bush (CVN-77). This contract will engage Electric Boat’s operations and support organization in Groton, which comprises more than 4,100 employees with proven skills and capabilities in final assembly, test and life-cycle support.