Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has successfully concluded a regular overhaul (ROH) on the US Navy’s Lewis B Puller-class expeditionary mobile base, USS Miguel Keith (ESB-5), at its facility in Yokohama, Japan.
This overhaul represents the first instance of a Japanese shipyard securing and completing an ROH contract of this magnitude for a US naval vessel.
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The maintenance project, valued at $12m, was orchestrated by the Singapore Detachment of the US Ship Repair Facility and Regional Maintenance Center (SRF-JRMC), which typically oversees such maintenance efforts for the ship.
MHI’s work included the replacement of 56,000ft2 of nonskid surfacing on both the flight and mission decks. Interior refurbishments were carried out across 29 compartments, encompassing areas such as the galley, scullery, laundry facilities, and living quarters.
Preservation efforts extended over 10,000ft2 of the ship’s forward deckhouse superstructure, MOGAS deck, and related machinery.
Additionally, MHI undertook the fabrication and installation of over 300 feet of new safety handrails along the flight deck catwalks.
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By GlobalDataThe ship’s galley received four new ovens as part of an equipment upgrade. The entire exterior surface from bow to stern also received a fresh coat of paint during this period.
SRF-JRMC commander captain Wendel Penetrante said: “The ability to use Mitsubishi Heavy Industry’s shipyard to conduct this level of maintenance availability has allowed SRF-JRMC’s organic workforce in Yokosuka to focus their efforts on the three other warship maintenance availabilities being conducted simultaneously.
“We were even able to complete one of those availabilities three days early and respond to two unplanned voyage repairs.”
Measuring 240m in length, the USS Miguel Keith is designed to serve as a versatile floating command base, capable of launching helicopters and small boats, and providing living quarters and command-and-control facilities.
The ship features large open decks to accommodate capabilities, including berthing for special operations troops, laundry facilities, or cold storage.
Since September 2020, the ship has been operating in the US 7th Fleet area of operations with a mixed crew from Military Sealift Command (MSC).
In 2023, Textron Systems’s Aerosonde uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) carried out initial maritime flight aboard the USS Miguel Keith.
