Huntington Ingalls Industries recently announced that its Newport News Shipbuilding division completed post-shakedown availability (PSA) work on the U.S. Navy submarine USS John Warner (SSN 785).
HII said it was the shipyard’s first PSA of a Virginia-class submarine and the first accomplished without having to put the boat into a dry dock for external hull work. The submarine was redelivered to the U.S. Navy August 31.
The PSA included combat systems and electronics upgrades, hydraulic plant acoustic improvements, and general maintenance on the submarine. One challenge of the waterborne PSA was touch-up painting on the hull. Two dive teams used a coating process that allowed the surface preparation and coating to safely take place underwater.
Jim Hughes , Newport News’ vice president, submarines and fleet support, said: “A PSA requires flexibility, teamwork and an ability to manage growth work. Remaining pierside was a huge challenge, but the team held to the schedule and remained under budget despite significant growth work.”