In January of this year the Navy restricted submarines from entering certain dry docks in the Pacific Northwest (both at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility and Trident Refit Facility- Bangor) because of seismic concerns identified in recent studies. The Navy team rapidly deployed and implemented a repair technique using dry dock wall reinforcing tie downs.

The three dry docks where tie downs were installed have been recertified. Repairs to the full length of the Bangor dock walls have been completed and the dock was recertified August 10. PSNS & IMF’s Dry Dock 5 was recertified June 30 to dock USS Connecticut (SSN 22) and Dry Dock 4 was recertified April 28 to dock USS Pennsylvania (SSBN 735).

“The completion of seismic mitigations at the TRF Bangor dry dock is an incredible milestone,” said Capt. JD Crinklaw, commander, PSNS & IMF. “For the past six months, thousands of personnel have dedicated themselves to ensuring all three dry docks were safely and efficiently brought back into operation, so we could continue our mission. I am incredibly grateful to the team of experts who helped us reach this objective and ensure the readiness and resilience of the Navy’s fleet.”

Construction efforts include drilling holes for the installation of anchors inside the dry dock walls to enhance structural integrity and ensure the safety of the workforce, community, environment, and submarines. The mitigation efforts updated existing emergency response plans to better address the chance of a catastrophic earthquake, along with improved early-warning employee notification systems in the dry docks.

Experts from private industry, Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, TRFB and PSNS & IMF planned and implemented the structural upgrades, with an eye on the Navy’s future needs and in support of the mission to deliver modern, fully-mission capable warships on-time, every time, preserving our national security.

“The upgrades done at Delta Pier will provide the Navy with critical sustainment operations, for our submarines, in the years ahead,” said Capt. Mike Eberlein, commanding officer, Trident Refit Facility-Bangor. “When I look at the amount of work done over the last few months, the precision of that work, and the speed and efficiency of the professionals involved, I am amazed at the capabilities of the Navy to conduct our national security mission.”

These short-term mitigation actions did not affect the nation’s strategic deterrent capability or the ability of the fleet to continue its overall mission. PSNS & IMF remains the primary provider for the maintenance, repair, modernization, inactivation and disposal of ships, submarines, and nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in the Pacific Fleet.

Based on future planned improvements to Dry Dock 6, and differences in ship design and the size of aircraft carriers, it was determined immediate seismic mitigations are not required. Aircraft carrier maintenance at PSNS & IMF remains unaffected.

The need for mitigations in the remaining docks will be determined once current efforts are complete and may include stability enhancements for submarine availabilities.

For questions related to this release, please contact the Navy Office of Information at 703-697-5342 or ptgn_chinfonewsdesk@navy.mil.