PORTSMOUTH — Workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard completed repairs on a nuclear submarine ahead of schedule this month, according to a shipyard spokesperson, allowing the vessel to return to service earlier than expected.
Repairs on the USS San Juan, a 23-year-old fast attack submarine, concluded on Saturday. The repairs were scheduled to last 20 months and three weeks, but the ship arrived at its home port in Groton, Conn., a full eight days ahead of the scheduled delivery date, according to Shipyard Commander Captain Bryant Fuller.
"It's wonderful to be back in Groton after successfully completing our maintenance overhaul early," Commanding Officer Ollie Lewis said in a statement.
"(This) is a tribute to the dedication of both Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and the USS San Juan crew."
Repairing and modernizing aging submarines is the "bread and butter," of the shipyard, according to Fuller, who said most Los Angeles-class submarines like the San Juan undergo routine maintenance every 20 years. The San Juan was commissioned on Aug. 6, 1988.
When the San Juan arrived in Portsmouth in April 2010, project overseers made speed and quality repair work their priorities.
"We did some things differently on San Juan and it paid off," Project Superintendent DK Horne said in a statement.
"We made more progress in her availability before undocking than any engineered overhaul the shipyard has performed in the past."
The repair work included sealing the exterior of the ship, replacing outdated parts, and refurbishing others that have deteriorated. At the height of the repair work, approximately 700 shipyard workers were engaged in the project, according to Fuller.
The shipyard is outfitted with three dry docks, and typically services two or three submarines concurrently. Shipyard staffers perform most of the repair work that requires heavy machinery, but crew members are also expected to contribute to the maintenance. Crew members also undergo training to learn about new systems.
Fuller said having a "really good plan" and "great teamwork" were the factors that allowed the shipyard to finish repairs ahead of schedule.
"Anytime the ship is at sea, or able to go to sea and operate, then that's just another day that they can be operating instead of sitting in the shipyard and getting maintenance." In total, the country's naval fleet includes about 50 fast-attack submarines. Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is one of four remaining naval shipyards in the country, according to the shipyard's website. It employs approximately 4,500 workers.
"The operational demand for our submarine force is of vital importance," he said in a statement. "Thanks to the team effort put forth by San Juan's crew and the skilled craftsmen and women of the shipyard, we have successfully returned eight days of operational time to the fleet — that cannot be overstated."
The fate of the shipyard fell into jeopardy last month, when U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta asked Congress to authorize a new round of base closures under a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process.
During the last BRAC process in 2005, the Pentagon's recommendation to close the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard was ultimately overturned by a BRAC commission. The state's congressional delegation has vigorously opposed changes that would affect the shipyard.
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