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Summit Addresses Critical Navy Ship Maintenance Issues

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS090727-10
Release Date: 7/27/2009 4:33:00 PM

From Naval Sea Systems Command Office of Corporate Communications

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Navy maintenance leaders and operational commanders from across the naval service participated in a Structure and Corrosion summit July 16-17 in Washington D.C.

The summit, hosted by Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), addressed critical corrosion problems that degrade the structural integrity of Navy ships. It was attended by more than 100 engineers, Navy type commanders, class squadron leaders and regional maintenance center workers and engineers.

"Previously, maintenance partners used different practices to categorize and document shipboard structural and corrosion deficiencies," said Lt. Cmdr. Eric Lind, NAVSEA deputy director, In Service Engineering.
"Now naval commands use a standard process and enter results in a central data repository.

"This is an extremely important issue, and we believe we made major strides forward," said Lind. "Navy-wide, corrosion prevention and structural repair commands a significant share of the maintenance budget. We want to ensure we address the most critical problems first in the most effective and efficient manner possible."

"One of the biggest challenges the maintenance community faces is ensuring ships maintain their structural integrity and combat and mission-readiness, an increasingly difficult task as many ships remain in service past their class Expected Service Life (ESL)," Department of the Navy Corrosion Prevention and Control Executive E. Dail Thomas said. "Corrosion continues to be the major factor in diminished structural integrity for Navy ships. Corrosion-induced structural problems identified during inspections over the past several years have adversely impacted several ships' ability to meet operational requirements."

Among other topics, attendees participated in working groups to discuss NAVSEA and fleet coating system and structural inspection survey policies and aligning corrosion and structural assessment groups to a common policy. Working groups also discussed increasing the Navy's awareness of the central data repository, the Corrosion Control Information Management System, and they reviewed and improved documentation for coating system assessments and structural inspection surveys.

For more news from Naval Sea Systems Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/navsea/.