Military Sealift Command’s (MSC) Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship USNS Wally Schirra (T-AKE 8) completed a seven-month regular overhaul (ROH) at South Korean shipyard Hanwha Ocean.
As informed, the ROH marks the first time that a Republic of Korea shipyard has bid on and won an ROH contract of this scale for an MSC vessel. The ROH is much larger work vice voyage repairs (VRs), which are conducted routinely in the Republic of Korea, the navy noted.
ROH conducted aboard Wally Schirra in the Republic of Korea included dry docking, and more than 300 work items that addressed hull corrosion and a full rudder replacement.
“The Republic of Korea’s ability to conduct large-scale maintenance to USNS ships within the Indo-Pacific Theater demonstrates the strong strategic partnership between the Republic of Korea and the United States,” said Rear Adm. Neil Koprowski , Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea.
“Maintenance in Theater reduces downtime and costs, while enhancing operational readiness. This is a landmark achievement to be celebrated as a symbol of our strengthened partnership and ironclad commitment to the ROK-U.S. alliance.”
“ Hanwha addressed extensive deterioration and damage to the hull, propeller, rudder, and rudder post/steering gear,” said Cmdr. Patrick J. Moore , commanding officer, MSC Office-Korea.
“Notably, Hanwha engineers reverse-engineered the damaged rudder, completely replacing the unit when blueprint were not available. This saved significant time and resources in getting Wally Schirra back to sea, a testament to their resilient supply chains, advanced automations, and skilled workforce.”
Wally Schirra is one of the many ships that are part of the US Navy’s Combat Logistics Force (CLF). CLF are the supply lines to the navy’s ships while at sea. These ships provide everything the ships need including fuel, food, fleet ordnance, dry cargo, spare parts, mail, and other supplies.
In addition to US Navy ships, CLF ships also resupply international partners operating in the Indo-Pacific Region.