• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

ESRA Begins For USS John F. Kennedy, Other Mayport Ships

Navy Newsstand

12/17/2002 8:47:00 AM

By Paige Gnann, Naval Station Mayport, Public Affairs

MAYPORT, Fla. (NNS) -- When USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) pulls into port, it'll be staying put for a while.

For the next nine months, Atlantic Marine and Drydock of Jacksonville, Fla., Norfolk Shipbuilding and Drydock, Earl Industries and Puget Sound Shipyard will begin a $200 million project to get the ship into shape. They will repair tanks, upgrade fire protection systems, rework the hull, electrical and piping systems, along with a host of other repairs during an extended selected restricted availability (ESRA) performed at Naval Station Mayport, Fla.

"The extended selected restricted availability on Kennedy is the biggest one ever conducted outside a shipyard, anywhere," said Capt. Ronald Henderson, Kennedy's commanding officer. "The U.S. Navy considered doing the ESRA in other cities but decided to do it in Mayport, our home. This is a big quality-of-life issue. We're doing the ESRA in Jacksonville because it's the right thing to do. It's right for the Navy. It's right for the community. And most importantly, it's right for the crew - to keep them here with their families."

The Navy is also taking advantage of the ESRA by performing selected repairs on several of the ships stationed at Mayport. Work on all of the ships is expected to be completed by October 2003.