Monday, 25 May 2020

Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard completes USS Missouri work five days early

USS Missouri (SSN 780) - US Navy Photo

 Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard completes USS Missouri work five days early | Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet

 PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF) workforce completed all planned maintenance and modernization work on USS Missouri (SSN 780) five days early. This is the first time any shipyard has completed two consecutive Virginia-class extended dry-docking selected restricted availabilities (EDSRA) ahead of schedule – USS North Carolina completed its EDSRA two days early on Dec. 1, 2018.
USS Missouri (SSN 780) departs Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility piers, May 10, to begin sea trials. (U.S. Navy/Justice Vannatta)


 “The shipyard project team and ship’s crew have been phenomenal partners during this entire availability, which is why they were able to shave five days off the schedule. When you consider that the team has been working under COVID-19 safety protocols, this early delivery is even more amazing,” said Vice Adm. Tom Moore, commander, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). “Everyone at the shipyard has been working together to minimize the spread of virus and maximize our mission and the Nō Ka ‘Oi shipyard lived up to its legacy with Missouri.”

 Missouri began its maintenance period almost 24 months ago. Since then, more than 2.2 million work-hours and more than 20,000 individual jobs were required to keep the boat fit for service. The availability officially ended on May 21, following the submarine’s successful sea trials and certification.

 “I could not be more proud of our Pearl Harbor team! This second consecutive early completion of a Virginia-class submarine EDRSA solidifies its standing as the Navy’s Virginia-class Center of Excellence,” Moore said.

 The Navy’s submarine force has unique access to a critical undersea domain. The ability to rapidly deploy is a key component to the Pacific Fleet’s ability to respond to crisis and conflict throughout the Indo-Pacific region. While underway, the submarines are conducting combat readiness training and employing undersea warfare capabilities in support of a wide-range of missions. The shipyard’s ability to complete complex maintenance operations and deliver submarines back to the fleet on time, or even early, ensures that our submarine force remains ready and responsive for any tasking.

 “Our civilian workforce is an integral part of our Navy family. The project and the ship assembled a strong, unified team that rose to the challenge to support the fleet amidst unprecedented circumstances,” said Rear Adm. Blake Converse, commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. “I am thrilled to have this warship returned to our fleet ahead of schedule, ready to defend our interests and freedom around the world.”

 The shipyard employs an extensive training and knowledge-sharing program to ensure project teams are prepared for the multi-faceted work, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, shipyard workers also fabricated more than 21,000 reusable cloth face coverings and produced hand sanitizer to help protect the workforce in addition to performing normal duties.

 “Today is a phenomenal example of the essential work and critical mission we have in keeping our Navy’s ships and submarines fit to fight,” said Capt. Greg Burton, commander, PHNSY & IMF. “Even in normal conditions, this is highly-complex work with a vast project scope and many variables. We are immensely proud of our workforce and the ship’s crew for exceeding the fleet’s expectations for Missouri’s availability.”

 Missouri, homeported at the historic submarine piers in Pearl Harbor, was commissioned on July 30, 2010, and is the fourth ship named in honor of the state of Missouri. It is the seventh commissioned Virginia-class submarine. Missouri was in PHNSY & IMF’s Dry Dock 1 when shipyard leaders and community stakeholders commemorated the dry dock’s 100th anniversary in August 2019.

 PHNSY & IMF is a field activity of NAVSEA and a one-stop regional maintenance center for the Navy’s surface ships and submarines. It is the largest industrial employer in the state of Hawaii, with a combined civilian and military workforce of approximately 6,400. It is the most comprehensive fleet repair and maintenance facility between the U.S. West Coast and the Far East, strategically located in the heart of the Pacific, being about a week’s steaming time closer to potential regional contingencies in the Indo-Pacific.


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