The paint department at Pascagoula, Miss.-based Ingalls Shipbuilding has developed an innovative method of accomplishing business in surface preparation and painting process — saving the U.S. Navy on ship upkeep and maintenance. The main premise here is reaching a goal of improving the life cycle of all Ingalls-constructed destroyers. "We have started a new process of cleaning and painting the assemblies before we stack them on top of one another," said paint foreman Tommy Vick. "Now we can reach almost all surfaces, even those we cannot see or reach with hand tools. The extension of a ship's life cycle involves a new procedure consisting of a new abrasive medium. "We replace Black Beauty with Bar Shot in the process of cleaning assemblies," said paint foreman Jon Evans.