SEP30-05: PNSY Undocks USS Helena, Completes Unprecedented Amount of Work
From Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Public Affairs

KITTERY, Maine - Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) successfully undocked USS Helena (SSN 725) on time, Sept. 9; and completed more work prior to the undocking than any previous Engineered Overhaul (EOH).

The submarine arrived at the shipyard, Sept. 2, 2009, and received extensive maintenance work and several system upgrades. PNSY is committed to maximize the material readiness of the fleet by ensuring every ship is ready to respond to the Navy’s mission. This commitment to readiness drove the project team and crew to push hard from day one to ensure Helena met this critical key event in her overhaul.

"We challenged ourselves from the beginning planning stages when we set the target undocking date more than 16 months ago," said Helena Project Superintendent Scott Kimmel. "In order to succeed-the team had to commit to the idea that nobody was ready to undock until we were all ready to undock. There is no one shop or code-just one team. It is that focus which kept us on track for this 18.5 month availability."

The on-time, or early completion, of submarine availabilities is critical in the maintenance of today's fleet; and is essential to maintaining warfighter readiness.

PNSY, a field activity of the Naval Sea Systems Command, provides the U.S. Navy's submarine fleet with quality overhaul work in a safe, timely and affordable manner. This includes a full spectrum of in-house support-from engineering services and production shops, to unique capabilities and facilities, to off-site support-all of which serves the multifaceted assortment of Fleet requirements.

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