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Navsea News

02 Feb 2024

American Salvage Association Names New Executive Director

Mike Dean (Photo: ASA)

The American Salvage Association (ASA) announced that Mike Dean has been appointed Executive Director. In this role, Dean is responsible for providing strategic leadership and direction to the organization and ensuring that ASA’s mission and objectives are achieved. He oversees day-to-day operations, financial management, government affairs, working committees and ASA staff. Dean reports to ASA’s president, Joseph Farrell, III and works closely with ASA’s Executive Committee.Dean is an industry veteran…

17 Nov 2023

OCM Expands Manufacturing Facility In Maryland

(Photo: Ocean Craft Marine)

Ocean Craft Marine (OCM), a builder of boats for military, law enforcement and first responder maritime end-users, announced the expansion of its manufacturing capabilities and footprint in Maryland.According to OCM, the decision to expand its manufacturing capabilities comes in response to increasing demand. The move positions OCM to proactively cater to large contracts from the U.S. Navy (NAVSEA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the company said.“We are thrilled to announce the expansion of our manufacturing capabilities in Maryland,” said Roy Nouhra, CEO of Ocean Craft Marine.

08 Jun 2023

America's Sea Services Building Large Fleet of Small Ships and Craft

U.S. Navy Sailors aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD-48), moor a landing craft, utility during amphibious operations, off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, in March 2023. (Photo: Christopher R. Lape / U.S. Marine Corps)

Not every vessel in the U.S. Navy is built for major combat operations on the high seas. There are large numbers of boats and service craft that provide essential services to the sea services, the nation and its partners.The U.S. Navy procures about 100 small boats per year. Some of these boats are based on commercial designs, procured to a Navy developed specification that tailors the requirements to the end user needs. They are procured and managed by two Naval Sea Systems Command program offices—PMS 300 and PMS 325.Compared to warships and auxiliaries…

22 Feb 2023

MGBW Workers Complete In-house Welding Program

(Photo: Marine Group Boat Works)

Marine Group Boat Works (MGBW), a family-owned boat repair and construction facility, is pleased to announce that 30 of its boatbuilders recently graduated from MGBW’s in-house Welding Certification Program. The Welding Program was launched in 2021 with support from a Small Shipyards Grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD). In total, $859,250 was spent to develop the curriculum, secure an instructor, equip the welding classroom and…

26 Jan 2023

3D Printing: Navy Builds Up Additive Manufacturing on Ships

Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) onloads a 3D printer during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022, July 8, 2022.  
U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Ace Rheaume

The U.S. Navy has long valued the potential of additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D Printing.AM refers to the depositing of material layer by layer to create an object. For the Navy, it’s not practical to carry every replacement part for every system on a ship, and it can be difficult to forecast if or when parts will fail. AM provides a flexible source of supply in being able to make parts instead of ordering them and waiting for them to arrive, especially for warships at the far end of the supply chain.

16 Jun 2022

Updates, Developments and Advances in Combat and Patrol Craft

SBI completed an order last December for 52 Coastal Interceptor Vessels for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. (Photo: SAFE Boats)

My first visit in 2007 to the American Society of Naval Engineers’ (ASNE) Multi-Agency Craft Conference (MACC) was an eye-opener. Having built a naval architecture career with frigates, destroyers and other large naval and commercial ships, I was eager to learn of the smaller craft used by the U.S. Navy and other government and military bodies. As my flight into Norfolk, Va. descended over Chesapeake Bay, I gazed in amazement as a Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) raced toward Virginia Beach, slowed, glided up the beach and into its shore base.

07 Jun 2022

BHGI Hires Naval Achitect Delaney

Braden Delaney (Photo: BHGI)

Bristol, R.I.-based naval architecture and marine engineering firm Bristol Harbor Group, Inc. (BHGI) announced it has hired Braden Delaney, as a naval architect. He graduated from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich. with an B.S.E. in naval architecture and marine engineering.Prior to joining BHGI, Delaney interned at NASSCO and NAVSEA, providing engineering support for shipyard operations in addition to interning as a salvage naval architect. Delaney is also a member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME).

03 May 2022

Viega Fittings Get Additional U.S. Navy Approval

Credit: Viega

Viega, the first press fitting system to meet the standard for use on Navy combat ships, has won approval for additional components to be used onboard. Last year, the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) approved the use of MegaPress® CuNi press fittings in sizes ½" to 2" to be used in surface combatant vessels for a variety of systems, including chilled water, potable water, electronic freshwater cooling, seawater cooling, washdown countermeasures, drainage and many others. ProPress copper ½" fittings were also approved for potable water and various drains.

04 Feb 2022

NSWC Dahlgren's Berry Awarded Prestigious Commendation Medal

The Department of Navy selects Branch Head Jillian Berry from Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division as the 2022 award recipient for the prestigious Civilian Service Commendation Medal. (U.S. Navy photo/Released)

It takes determined leadership to bring a culture of innovation to large and historic institutions like the U.S. Navy. Regarded as a successful leader in electromagnetic systems certification at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD), Jillian Berry is passionate about her work, displaying a high level of expertise everyday on the job.The Department of Navy selected Berry as the 2022 recipient for the prestigious Civilian Service Commendation Medal (CSCM) in recognition of her exceptional work…

11 Oct 2021

LED Lighting for Ships: Seeing is Believing

The Military Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS Laramie (T-AO 203) conducts a replenishment at sea with the amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu (LHA 5). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Michael Duran/Released)

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…

13 Sep 2021

US Navy Awards Shipyard Modernization Contract

FILE PHOTO: USS Nimitz (CVN 68) at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Bremerton, Wash. (Photo: Thiep Van Nguyen II / PSNS & IMF)

The U.S. Navy has awarded a $500-million design contract for the modernization of two of its shipyards in Hawaii and Washington.The indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architecture-engineering contract awarded to Honolulu, Hawaii-based WSM Pacific SIOP by Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) on September 7 is for structural and waterfront-related projects at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF) in Hawaii and Puget…

16 Aug 2021

NAVFAC Awards $1.7B Drydock Construction Project

"We look forward to getting this critical construction mega-project underway," said Rear Adm. John Korka, commander, NAVFAC, and Navy chief of Civil Engineers.  "This project -- and other work being planned at all four of our naval shipyards -- is one of the most significant and direct contributions that our systems command team can make to enable our Navy’s lethality and maximize its readiness for many years to come." Image courtesy NAVFAC

Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) awarded a $1.7-billion construction project, an effort toexpand and reconfigure a dry dock complex at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) in Kittery, Maine, to increase the shipyard's capacity to maintain, modernize, and repair the Navy's attack submarines and return them to the fleet on time.The seven-year project, part of the Navy's comprehensive Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP), will construct an addition to Dry Dock 1 within the existing flood basin area…

10 Aug 2021

Workforce Development: Apprenticeship Programs Help Build the Fleet

Over the past 100 years, more than 5,800 men and women have graduated from the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF) Apprentice Program.  Upon successful completion of the program, apprentices are promoted to journey workers and attain an Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S) Degree in Applied Trades. Lauryn-Mae Pang became an apprentice diesel crane mechanic, then worked on her bachelor’s degree through PHNSY’s Apprentice to Engineer (A2E) program.  She’s

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.

10 Aug 2021

Video: USS Gerald R. Ford Completes Shock Trials

Shock trials are designed to demonstrate ships’ ability to withstand the effects of nearby underwater explosion and retain required capability. (Photo: Jackson Adkins / U.S. Navy)

The U.S. Navy's new aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) on Monday underwent its third explosive event off the coast of Jacksonville, Fla., rounding out the ship’s Full Ship Shock Trials (FSST) and validating its shock hardness and ability to sustain operations in a simulated combat environment using live ordnance. During the four-month testing evolution, the first-in-class aircraft carrier withstood the impact of three 40,000-pound underwater blasts, released at distances…

25 Jul 2021

NSWC Crane, Hydronalix Sign CRADA for AISUM Prize Challenge Hardware Support

Photo courtesy Hydronalix

Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane) and Hydronalix, Inc. of Green Valley, AZ, signed a Cooperative Research And Development Agreement (CRADA) entitled AISUM Prize Challenge Hardware Support. Agreement number: NCRADA-NSWCCD-21-419. NSWC Crane is hosting an Artificial Intelligence for Small Unit Maneuver (AISUM) Prize Challenge with contestants from industry and academia. With the strategic goals of developing software that can be supported by a variety of hardware, non-proprietary robotic autonomy baseline component architecture and software were required.

01 Jul 2021

Lake Assault Boats Expands on US East Coast

From left to right: Ed Hennessey, Justin Owens, Jimmy Lossee, Gaston Saada, Ralph Capotosto, Joe Kotapish, Sarah Busch and Smokey Glover. (Photo: Lake Assault Boats)

Superior, Wis.based patrol, fire and rescue craft builder Lake Assault Boats has opened a 14,800 sq. ft. repair, service and maintenance facility in Portsmouth, Va. Marine industry veteran, Smokey Glover, along with his team of five highly regarded and experienced technicians (all formerly with Willard Marine) will lead and support the operation.The full-service operation will focus on repair, overhaul and maintenance services. The team can be dispatched on an as-needed basis to locations anywhere around the globe.“We are beyond excited to add a large and well-equipped hub facility…

09 Jun 2021

The Navy’s Big Fleet of Small Boats

The U.S. Navy’s Mark VI class patrol boat is designed to patrol riverine and littoral waters around the globe. (Photo: Nelson Doromal Jr / U.S. Navy)

The Navy is known for its big ships. It has a lot of smaller boats and craft, too—3,200 of them.The three primary stakeholders for these craft are the Surface Fleet, Commander Navy Installations Command and Navy Expeditionary Combat Command. Other stakeholders include Submarine Forces; Air Forces (which own the aircraft carriers); Naval Special Warfare; the Coast Guard; Naval Facilities Command and the Naval Warfare Centers.Boats and craft are procured and managed by Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Program Executive Office for Ships (PEO Ships)…

07 Jun 2021

Viega Fittings Earn US Navy Approval

(Image: Viega)

Viega announced on Monday that its MegaPress CuNi and ProPress copper fittings are the first press fittings approved for use in U.S. Navy combat ships.After years of rigorous testing, the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) has approved the use of MegaPress CuNi mechanically attached fittings in sizes ½" to 2" in surface combatants for a variety of systems, including chilled water, potable water, electronic freshwater cooling, seawater cooling, washdown countermeasures, drainage and many others.

09 Jul 2020

In the Dock with Selective Electroplating

(Photo: SIFCO ASC)

Surface plating is widely used to repair or salvage critical components in the marine industry. As many components need disassembly, the repair process is typically carried out when the ship is in dry dock. Due to the nature of the plating process, this work is usually performed by plating or machine shops off-site. In a quest to add value through reduced downtime and labor costs, many shipyards are looking to bring this service in-house. Mark Meyer, Sales Manager North America at SIFCO ASC…

12 Aug 2020

Rolls-Royce to Boost Output for the US Navy

(Photo: U.S. Navy)

Rolls-Royce and the Defense Production Act Title III office will invest millions of dollars to upgrade the company’s capability and capacity for U.S. Navy ship propulsion components in its facility in Pascagoula, Miss.The DPA Title III office has already agreed to invest $22 million for equipment, with Rolls-Royce making an additional investment for building improvements, supplemented with support from Jackson County and the state of Mississippi.Naval components manufactured by Rolls-Royce at Pascagoula include controllable-pitch propeller systems, fixed pitch propellers, and water jets.

24 Sep 2020

Norfolk Naval Shipyard Commander Relieved

(U.S. Navy photo by Benjamin Waddell)

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.

28 Oct 2020

Silver Ships Wins $6.12 Mln Patrol Boats Contract

(Photo: Silver Ships)

Alabama-based boatbuilder Silver Ships said it has been awarded a contract award worth $6.12 million from the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) to supply six Riverine Patrol Boats (RPB).The Riverine Patrol Boat is a U. S. Navy Foreign Military Sale (FMS) that will benefit a Pacific region ally. The 40-foot vessels are a rugged, center console design and are powered by twin Yanmar 440-horsepower engines and waterjets. They are armed, armored and have been designed to carry 20 personnel…

23 Mar 2021

US Navy Recovers Downed Helicopter from Record Ocean Depth

An MH-60S on deck of contracted salvage vessel off the coast of Yokosuka, Japan on March 18, 2021, having just been pulled from the depth of 19,075 ft by NAVSEA Supervisor of Salvage and Diving, (SUPSALV) at the request of the Navy Safety Center to facilitate accident investigation. This depth, a SUPSALV record, achieved using the ROV CURV 21 (painted yellow in background), deep ocean lift line and heave compensated Fly Away Dive System (red equipment behind helicopter). (Photo: U.S. Navy)

The U.S. Navy last week retrieved one of its crashed helicopters from 19,075 feet below the surface of the North Pacific, setting a record for the deepest aircraft recovery at sea.The helicopter, a twin engine Sikorsky Seahawk, crashed off the coast of Okinawa, Japan last year while operating from the amphibious command ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19). The air crew was able to escape the MH-60S before it sank and no lives were lost in the accident.Responding to a U.S. Pacific Command Fleet request…