The US Navy has awarded a joint venture of Dragados, Hawaiian Dredging, and Orion a $2.8-billion contract to construct a concrete dry dock at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF) in Oahu, Hawaii.
The five-year agreement will see the development of a new graving dock (Dry Dock 5) to replace Dry Dock 3, sustaining PHNSY & IMF capabilities that modernize and maintain the US Pacific Fleet’s nuclear-powered submarines.
Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program
Work for the contract will be conducted as part of the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program to bolster shipyard infrastructure dedicated to nuclear-powered warships.
The program will revamp four public shipyards to serve current and future classes of submarines and carriers.
“As part of the Navy’s Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program, replacing Dry Dock 3 at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard is a critical enabler of increased naval capability,” US Navy Industrial Infrastructure Program Executive Officer Pete Lynch stated.
“This project is a key investment in increasing capacity and modernizing our nation’s public shipyards through upgraded dry docks and facilities, new equipment, and improved workflow.”
‘Historic Effort’
Built in 1942, PHNSY & IMF Dry Dock 3 will become obsolete once the service’s Los Angeles-class submarines are decommissioned.
The dock does not support other vessels, such as the existing Virginia-class submarines or larger surface ships.
“We look forward to working with Dragados/Hawaiian Dredging/Orion JV, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, and all our stakeholders on this project over the next several years in order to deliver this critical capability to the Fleet,” PHNSY Construction Commanding Officer Capt. Steve Padhi said.
“We have incorporated lessons learned and best practices from other dry dock projects and field offices across the Navy, and we have consulted with our construction contractors early in order to confidently meet the requirements we’ve been given. My OICC (Officer in Charge of Construction) team and I are ready to get started on this historic effort.”