The US Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) has departed Dry Dock 6 at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF) after a 14 month Docking Planned Incremental Availability (DPIA) period.
The work done on the CVN 70 includes upgrades to the electrical system and crew living spaces, maintenance on rudders, shafts and tanks, and preservation of the ship’s hull. The vessel’s combat systems were also upgraded.
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PSNS & IMF commander Captain Dianna Wolfson said: “As we all watch the news and see the ways Covid-19 is challenging our nation and our navy, we remain committed to delivering ships to support the warfighters’ needs.
“The current pandemic has certainly challenged us, but we pulled together as a team, alongside the ship’s force and all of our other partners to get this aircraft carrier back in the water.”
The reduced workforce due to the outbreak of Covid-19 precautions did not hamper the efforts of the team.
The team got an early start on the DPIA. This was done by ensuring certain work was completed in San Diego before the ship came to the shipyard last year.
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By GlobalDataMultiple ship visits and assessments were conducted by the team to fully understand the scope of the work before its arrival.
The team also used lessons learned and improvements that were implemented during the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) DPIA at PSNS & IMF from March 2018 to June 2019.
Docking Planned Incremental Availability project superintendent Mike Irby said: “Despite the challenges, the shipyard and the project team maintained their focus and successfully prioritised undocking the ship.”
Undocking was delayed due to material deficiencies in shafts, rudders and bearings. Additionally, rudders, rudder bores and struts required extensive repairs.
