BREMERTON, Wash. –
Rear Adm. Peter Small, chief engineer & deputy commander Naval Sea Systems Engineering & Logistics, visited Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility Feb. 4, 2025, to discuss current technologies in use at PSNS & IMF, as well as any challenges that must be overcome to expand the use of innovative technologies here.
Small was accompanied by Doug Vaughters, director of Aircraft Carrier Design & Systems Engineering, and Kurt Crake, director of Submarine & Submersibles Engineering.
The visit focused on cold spray, additive manufacturing, phased array ultrasonic testing, the RevospECT automated eddy current analysis software, and explosive bulge testing. Leadership discussions covered current capabilities, barriers to implementation, and opportunities for further innovation.
According to Joe Fenske, division head, Code 135, Non-Destructive Testing Division, the REVO software significantly increases the speed at which PSNS & IMF can inspect tubes inside of ship’s equipment. While a proficient manual analyst can inspect a single tube in about two minutes, the REVO software can do the same inspection in six seconds.
“During the PAUT and REVO discussion we spoke to Rear Adm. Small about the importance of having a high-speed data network in place to move data,” Fenske said. “Both PAUT and REVO could see productivity increases if the Shipyard had the ability to do remote data analysis. We could have a fewer number of inspectors on TDY, while the data analysts remain in the Shipyard.”
While PSNS & IMF has embraced innovative solutions to work more efficiently, Fenske said, PSNS & IMF is still continuing to find technologies it can leverage to become more productive in the future.
Small also discussed how policies and procedures might be adjusted to help speed up work at PSNS & IMF by empowering engineers and mechanics to develop and implement solutions to problems locally, whenever feasible.
According to Jason Holmstrom, chief engineer, Code 240, Small discussed how PSNS & IMF and NAVSEA can streamline the communications and approval process for proposed repairs to keep projects moving forward as quickly as possible, while managing and balancing risk.
“The time spent discussing these topics was valuable for him to gain perspective on the issues we face daily,” Holmstrom said. “Rear Adm. Small expressed high praise and appreciation to the engineering workforce. He reiterated the need for technical autonomy in decision making and the necessary balance between proper risk evaluation and acceptance in those decisions. He stated several times that we have to be careful and balance the short-term drive to return ships to sea against long term loses, highlighting several recent examples where the imbalance between operations and maintenance has caused a significant backlog of mandatory repairs that are now impacting our ability to effectively support the Navy.”