Photo By Justice Vannatta | Mark K. Edelson, program executive director for the Program Executive Officer for...... read more read more
PEARL HARBOR, Hawai’i – Mark K. Edelson, program executive director for the Program Executive Officer for Industrial Infrastructure (PEO II) paid a visit to Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF) on May 8, the first anniversary of the Dry Dock 5 construction commencement.
As the PEO, he is responsible for overseeing the cost, schedule, and performance of the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP) for the four Navy shipyards.
His visit allowed him to gain a physical understanding of the area development plan and conduct a review of DD5 construction progress.
SIOP is a holistic long-term investment in the infrastructure of the shipyards to ensure they are viable in improving the Navy’s mission through the next century, said Edelson.
“They are our industrial base for nuclear ship and submarine maintenance, and those vessels are going to be around for a long time,” he said.
At the heart of each shipyard are the dry docks and they are built to last but not forever.
Currently, there are several under construction including the $3.4 billion Pearl Harbor Dry Dock 5, the largest Navy construction project, which is scheduled to be completed in 2027.
The Navy Officer in Charge of Construction, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard (OICC PHNSY) provides quality assurance, contract administration, and command-level accountability for the project and the broader recapitalization of PHNSY, under SIOP.
Pearl Harbor finished construction on its first dry dock 105 years ago. Exposure to the elements for that number of years can exasperate wear and tear and that includes the facilities which, Edelson added, served their purpose well but were designed for a different time.
With an average lifespan of 24 years, industrial equipment needs to be modernized. The plan is to do it while rebuilding the rest of a shipyard.
“In 2018, the Navy with support from Congress, decided we needed to have a comprehensive plan that we then execute. The plan looks at the whole of a shipyard the waterfront, the dry docks, piers, and all the utilities,” he said.
The overhaul is fully underway.
Navy-wide, there are 40 projects under construction, with a budget of just over $6 billion. Simultaneously, 40 additional projects are currently in design and another 40 are in the planning phase.
Environmental consideration is something that is included in every project.
“We want to be good stewards with the community,” Edelson said. “The plans pay attention to challenges such as invasive species because they are bad for the environment and that trickles to people, families, and our work. It gives us the opportunity to interact with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).”
Because construction is scheduled to take place simultaneously across the all the shipyards, synchronization is paramount.
All shipyard SIOP’s communicate regularly and share lessons learned. The goal is to work toward all shipyards having the same type of equipment, whenever possible.
“So, when needed, anyone can go to from shipyard to shipyard and fined the same process,” he said.
The efforts going into the structures, systems and procedures are focused on improving conditions for everyone.
Edelson emphasized that letting the workforce know what is coming is important because the Navy is making an investment into our collective future.
“By investing the money in shipyards, we make it an efficient, effective, and a safe place to work for the next generation of workers,” he said.
That is something that is reflected from the waterfront to the offices and through the customers - the submarines and ships that pass through the dry docks.
“The Navy is committed; it is good to see the support from Congress and Department of Defense to see this happen,” he said. “It is my job to see that it happens, while prioritizing all missions. We are the good investment because this is what puts ships out on the front lines.”
PHNSY & IMF is a field activity of NAVSEA and a one-stop regional maintenance center for the Navy’s surface ships and submarines. It is the largest industrial employer in the state of Hawai’i, with a combined civilian and military workforce of approximately 6,400. It is the most comprehensive fleet repair and maintenance facility between the U.S. West Coast and the Far East, strategically located in the heart of the Pacific, being about a week’s steaming time closer to potential regional contingencies in the Indo-Pacific.
SIOP is a holistic plan that integrates all infrastructure and industrial plant equipment investments at the Navy’s four public shipyards to meet nuclear fleet maintenance requirements, as well as improve Navy maintenance capabilities by expanding shipyard capacity and optimizing shipyard configuration. For more information about SIOP, visit https://www.navfac.navy.mil/PEO-Industrial-Infrastructure/PMO-555-SIOP/.
| Date Taken: | 05.08.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 06.24.2024 02:34 |
| Story ID: | 474571 |
| Location: | PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 495 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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