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Shipyard Workers Prepare for USS Texas' Extended Docking Selected Restricted Availability

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS100923-28
9/23/2010

From Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility Public Affairs

PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF) engineers and mechanics traveled to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNS) this month to observe the first Extended Docking Selected Restricted Availability (EDSRA) for USS Virginia (SSN 774), scheduled to commence Oct. 1.

During the visit, PHNSY & IMF workers are expected to gain valuable skills and experience necessary to reduce future submarine maintenance periods and increase operational availabilities in preparation for USS Texas' (SSN 775) EDSRA at Pearl Harbor in summer 2012.

"This effort is aligned with our strategic objective to reduce the learning curve in performing Virginia class maintenance," said Cmdr. Leonard Laforteza, PHNSY Virginia class program manager.

In addition to learning Virginia-class unique pre-EDSRA procedures, the traveling shipyard team will perform as much hands-on work as practicable on distinct systems and components, gathering lessons learned and best practices to be applied to their upcoming EDSRA.

The collected information will then be sent to cognizant codes, activities and Ships Availability Planning and Engineering Center (SHAPEC) to produce accurate Task Group Instructions (TGIs), lists of necessary inspections, maintenance and repairs carefully configured from the ship's original work package. SHAPEC representatives will work with the Pearl Harbor engineers to draft initial Task Group Instructions (TGIs).

"We are writing the TGIs jointly with SHAPEC so we can have input from the project, which results in less churn when the paper gets issued," said Laforteza. "The interaction is important – it's really the main value of SHAPEC being here at Pearl Harbor. Our engineers and mechanics are able to understand why SHAPEC wrote the TGIs the way they did; and provide input before the paper gets issued."

"There are a lot of new aspects we've never seen when working on Virginia class submarines that require a great deal of preparation," said SHAPEC representative and structural engineer Pete Ehnstrom. "Some of the unique elements include Virginia-class propulsion system, hull treatment and light weight wide aperture array."

PHNSY & IMF, a field activity of the Naval Sea Systems (NAVSEA) command , is a full-service naval shipyard and regional maintenance center for the Navy's surface ships and submarines. Strategically located in the mid-Pacific, PHNSY & IMF is about a week of steam time closer to potential major regional contingencies in East Asia than sites on the West Coast.