BY KATIE VANES – PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII – Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard began a three-month Selected Restricted Availability (SRA) on USS Russell (DDG 59) April 13.
“USS Russell’s public and private sector availability work package contains extensive repair and modernization work. All entities, including Alteration Installation Teams (AITs), have planned well and are fully prepared to execute,” said Shipyard Arleigh Burke-Class Team Leader Carlton Kiyabu. “Our team members recognize the important role they have in contributing with returning USS Russell back to the Fleet; allowing her to fulfill her future mission requirements.”
The vast majority of the work will be performed by a contractor under the government’s private public partnership agreement, but Shipyard engineers and journeyworkers will also perform significant maintenance.
The contracted work package includes tank stiffening and ammunition room modernization, decking and bulkhead structural repairs and the slewing
arm davit (SLAD) overhaul. The SLAD is a mechanical arm responsible for lowering lifeboats on Russell. Shipyard employees will perform conduit work on cabling and sleeves, exhaust work, gas turbine engine maintenance and weight testing.
Due to the large structural work package and certification training of Russell’s crew, schedulers extended the availability one month. The major challenge will be scheduling and coordination, according to Shipyard Project Manager Gene Nishikawa.
“The key points we stress with any availability are communication, coordination and cooperation,” said Nishikawa. “For example, we need to
finish the structural work and the SLAD on the exact scheduled date, so it does not affect the flight deck schedule and the rest of the availability.”
The Shipyard will execute two smaller Continuous Maintenance Availabilities (CMAVs) before Russell’s destroyer modernization period in two years.
Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard is the largest industrial employer in the state of Hawaii, with a combined civilian and military workforce of more
than 4,700 and an annual operating budget of about $687 million. For more information about Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, visit the Shipyard’s
Web site at https://www.navsea.navy.mil/shipyards/pearl/default.aspx.
Katie Vanes is with Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard Public Affairs