Navy Leader Assures Senator Collins that PNSY Infrastructure Projects are Currently Safe
Click HERE to watch Senator Collins’ Q&A about military construction projects at PNSY. Click HERE for the high-resolution video.
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Susan Collins questioned Vice Admiral Dixon Smith—the U.S. Navy’s Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Fleet Readiness and Logistics—about the status of the three important military construction projects at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) at a Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee hearing.
As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins successfully secured $162 million for these three projects in the bipartisan Fiscal Year 2019 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill last year. The projects include the vital Dry Dock #1 Superflood Basin improvement, crane rail extension, and the replacement of a consolidated warehouse.
“Speaking of national treasures another national treasure is in the State of Maine — it's the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, which plays a crucial role in ensuring that the Navy's submarines are able to accomplish their missions worldwide,” said Senator Collins. “Last year the Navy requested and Congress appropriated $162 million for three very important military construction projects at [Portsmouth Naval Shipyard]… These projects now have award dates before September 30th. Do you anticipate executing these projects on schedule?”
“[Portsmouth Naval Shipyard] is phenomenal. It does great work up there. As you know I've had the opportunity to visit more than one occasion. It's a great workforce and a great team up there. At this point we are on track to award those three [projects],” responded Vice Admiral Smith.
Together, these three infrastructure projects will ensure that PNSY can efficiently dock both Los Angeles-class and Virginia-class submarines to conduct their maintenance, support the requirements to execute Los Angeles-class service life extensions in the years to come, and expand an outdated warehouse facility that will help the shipyard receive, inspect, and distribute submarine components for worldwide fleet support.
