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US 5th Fleets Hosts First Maintenance Symposium

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS101025-06
10/25/2010

From U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs

MANAMA, Bahrain (NNS) -- The first 5th Fleet Maintenance Industry Symposium was held aboard Naval Support Activity, Bahrain Oct. 20-21.

Nearly 40 people attended the event, representing more than a dozen shipyards, contracting agencies, dry docks and piers throughout the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR), from countries including Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and United Arab Emirates.

"The purpose of the symposium is to build relationships and understanding between the Navy maintenance community and civilian maintenance industry in the AOR," said U.S. 5th Fleet Maintenance Officer Cmdr. Robert Williams. "In 5th Fleet, most of our repairs are not planned - they are emergent in nature, resulting from mission demands. We need to have a network of shipyards available to support the ships in the AOR, so that we have a place to get our ships repaired when needed."

The symposium covered topics, such as safety, cost, quality, schedules, Navy contracting, voyage repairs, lessons learned from ship repairs and overhauls, and Master Ship Repair Agreement (MSRA) certification requirements.

"A good portion of the symposium is focused on explaining to the organizations that don't have an MSRA, the steps required to get one," Williams said. "That agreement is what a shipyard needs to attain to have open contracting with the U.S. Navy in the AOR."

The Navy's contracts in the AOR for fiscal year 2010 totaled approximately $32 million.

Williams began planning this symposium in January, with assistance from Fleet Industrial Supply Center Sigonella–Bahrain (FISCSI-Bahrain).

"Since I began working for the U.S. Navy 14 years ago, we have never had a symposium here like this," said Ganesh Swaminathan, FISCI–Bahrain contracting officer. "Sometimes in the past, when there was an emergent repair for one of the Navy ships, I couldn't find a contractor. Because of this symposium, I have found out that there are many key players with the capability and capacity to handle Navy ships in the AOR."

Abdul Wahid Ali Al Flaij, an industrial projects department head for the commercial division of the Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard Co., located in Hidd, Bahrain, said he was glad to attend the symposium for several reasons.

"This gives us the opportunity to develop our relationships with the other companies in the area, to be introduced to any new companies that are here, and to learn about new maintenance regulations that may have been developed."

ASRY has held Navy contracts for about 20 years and is currently performing repairs on U.S. Navy patrol craft.

Williams felt the symposium went well, and is planning another one next year.

"The local maintenance industry and the Navy both feel that we were successful in establishing relationships and building trust throughout this event," he said. "Also, if we had tried to visit the shipyards individually it would have taken us months. We covered the whole AOR in two days with this symposium."