Metal Plate News

HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division authenticated the keel today for Virginia-class attack submarine Oklahoma (SSN 802).“We enjoy participating in Navy traditions like this one because they remind us of the important role we play in our nation’s defense,” NNS President Jennifer Boykin said. “The nuclear submarines we build help ensure our peace and freedoms, and we take great pride in being a nuclear shipyard.”The ship’s sponsor is Mary “Molly” Slavonic, an Oklahoma native. Slavonic has long supported both the state of Oklahoma and the Navy.

Two workers recently died on the shipbreaking beach of Alang, India. Two separate accidents took place at well-known scrapping yards that have applied to be included in the EU list of approved ship recycling facilities.On July 29, 50 years old Subash Vishwakarma lost his life at Priya Blue yard - Plot V1. He was working on a ship when a metal plate fell on his head. He was transferred to the nearest hospital in bad condition and pronounced dead at arrival.On September 3, due to an explosion during cutting operations, one worker lost his life and one got severely injured at Shree Ram yard - Plot 78/81. Fellow workers that witnessed the tragic event were unwilling to share information with journalists.

America's largest military shipbuilding company Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced the installation of the mast on the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, part of a $2.8 billion overhaul of the ship.The shipyard installed the final piece of the ship’s new main mast—the 34-foot upper mast section—that raises the ship’s distinctive profile 123 feet above the flight deck, said a press release from the Fortune 500 shipbuilding company.The  refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) is now 50 percent complete at ewport News Shipbuilding division, it said.“Landing the upper mast is one of the most visible construction milestones in the mid-life refueling overhaul and maintenance availability of an aircraft carrier…

Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), hosted a keel-laying ceremony Saturday for the future USS Washington (SSN 787), a Virginia-class submarine named for the Evergreen State. The submarine’s sponsor is Elisabeth Mabus, daughter of Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus. Acting as the keel authenticator, during the ceremony she chalked her initials onto a metal plate. Her initials were then welded onto the plate, which will be permanently affixed to the submarine as a symbol of her relationship with the ship, its shipbuilders and crew.

U.S. Navy underwater archeologists, in conjunction with Indonesian Navy divers, have assessed in an interim report that the wrecked vessel surveyed in the Java Sea in June is "consistent with the identification" of the World War II wreck of the cruiser USS Houston (CA 30), and that divers documented conclusive evidence of a pattern of unauthorized disturbance of the gravesite. "We're grateful for the support of our Indonesian partners in determining the condition of the USS Houston," said Adm. Harry Harris, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. "Surveying the site, of course, was only the first step in partnering to respect those Sailors who made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure the freedoms and security that we richly enjoy today," he added. U.S.

First Lady Michelle Obama's initials were welded onto a metal plate as Sailors from Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Illinois (SSN 786) looked on during a keel-laying ceremony for the new Virginia-class submarine. The First Lady joined Navy leaders, shipyard personnel and crew families in celebrating the ongoing construction of the Navy's 13th Virginia-class submarine during an event at the Quonset Point facility of the shipbuilders General Dynamics Electric Boat. Three-quarters of the ship's construction is complete, said Adm. John Richardson, the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program director. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus also participated in the event and served as the keynote speaker.

The Model AST 4530 Liquid Level Transmitter from American Sensor Technologies, Inc. (AST) is designed to measure the level of harsh liquids such as slurries, salt water and oil in vented tanks or containers. Constructed with PVDF material and a PTFE diaphragm, the AST 4530 submersible pressure sensor features a submersible PVDF cable, cord grip and housing as well as a conduit connection for turbulent installations such as process plants, salt water holding tanks, on-board ships, turbulent tanks and rail cars.

The B.C. Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Board (SSRB) announce the release of its workforce development strategy document for the B.C. shipbuilding and ship repair industry: 'Towards 2020: A BC Shipbuilding & Ship Repair Industry Workforce Strategy'  is intended to inform and guide public and private investments in future labour market development initiatives over the next decade. It is forecast that throughout the next ten years alone, B.C. employers will need more than 4,000 skilled…

HII's Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division celebrates the keel-laying of US Navy Virginia-class submarine 'John Warner'. The keel has been laid for John Warner (SSN 785), the only Virginia-class submarine to bear the name of a person, and that person was present at the ceremony. "Each submarine we build becomes a piece of our company's history; each submarine becomes a part of our Navy's history, and each submarine becomes a piece of our nation's history," said NNS President Matt Mulherin.

General Dynamics NASSCO laid the keel for USNS Medgar Evers, the thirteenth ship of the Lewis and Clark class of dry cargo-ammunition ships (T-AKE). The ship is named in honor of Medgar Evers, the African American civil rights activist whose 1963 murder prompted President John F. Kennedy to ask Congress for a comprehensive civil rights bill. Mrs. Gina Buzby, wife of Rear Admiral Mark H. Buzby, commander, Military Sealift Command, was the honoree for the keel-laying ceremony. Mrs. Buzby authenticated the keel of T-AKE 13 by welding her initials onto a metal plate which will be permanently affixed to the ship. Construction of the Medgar Evers began in April 2010. When T-AKE 13 joins the fleet in the first quarter of 2012, the 689-foot-long ship will be used primarily to stage U.S.

Shipbuilders at Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Shipbuilding sector in Newport News, Va., signed a 15-ft banner in preparation for the upcoming keel laying ceremony for the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). The banner will be on display at the ceremony on Nov. 14. Susan Ford Bales, the daughter of the late President Gerald R. Ford, will serve as ship's sponsor and keel authenticator for the ceremony. Bales will authenticate the keel by chalking her initials onto a metal plate. Her initials will then be welded onto the plate.

Northrop Grumman Corporation's Newport News sector hosted a keel laying ceremony for the second Virginia-class submarine, Texas (SSN 775). Laura Bush is the Ship's Sponsor and served as the keel authenticator for the ceremony. Mrs. Bush authenticated the keel by chalking her initials onto a metal plate. Her initials were then welded and the plate will be permanently affixed to the submarine. "A mighty American submarine deserves a mighty American name," she said. Virginia-class. Texas is the second ship of the Virginia-class. "Skilled professionals will forge the newest alloys and technology into one of the most sophisticated ships in the world," said Mrs. Bush. The keynote speaker for the ceremony was U.S. Sen. of Virginia. Newport News President Tom Schievelbein, Virginia Gov. Mark R.

Northrop Grumman, The Mariners' Museum, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Monitor. The replica will be the centerpiece of the $30 million USS Monitor Center at The Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Va. More than 100 employees of Northrop Grumman's Newport News sector will build the replica in 22 steel sections inside the shipyard's steel production facility from Navy-donated materials. Construction of the ship's hull is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2005. The sector's Apprentice School recently completed the first section, the keel unit. Weighing approximately 18 tons and about the size of a rail car, the keel unit will be transported to the USS Monitor Center on Feb. 26 for a public keel-laying ceremony on Mar. 6 at 3 p.m.

According to WNYC, an ironworker who had gone to work on his day off to earn extra cash died Saturday when a massive metal plate weighing thousand of pounds fell and crushed him. 51-year-old Christopher Thomas of the Bronx was working at the GMD Shipyard in the Brooklyn Navy Yard just after 10 a.m. when the plate, which was being used to repair a dry-docked barge, came loose and fell. Thomas, who was working beneath the barge, was struck in the head and pinned underneath the heavy plate. Michael Cranston, the president of the GMD Shipyard, released a statement saying that the company is helping investigators to determine the cause of the accident. Thomas had two children. He had started working at the shipyard last week, according to his wife. Source: WNYC Newsroom