Senator Collins Announces Navy's Final Decision To Repair The USS Miami At Portsmouth Naval Shipyard

             WASHINGTON, D.C.- U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, said that the Navy informed her today of the details of the decision to repair the USS Miami, which was damaged by arson in late May.  The Navy expects the cost of repair to be about $450 million, and the repairs will be accomplished through a coordinated effort of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, with shipbuilding experts from both Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut, and Huntington Ingalls Industries in Newport News, Virginia, contributing to repairs.  The ship will remain at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for the duration of repairs, which are expected to be completed by April 2015.

          Senator Collins said, "I am thrilled the Navy has reached this important decision.  The USS Miami represents a significant investment in our national security; it is important that it return to the fleet as quickly as possible so that it is available to fulfill its mission.  Portsmouth Naval Shipyard has the best submarine repair capability in the nation, and with the expert assistance of both Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls, the Miami will be repaired swiftly and will provide the Navy with many years of additional service."

          Since the fire aboard the ship, Senator Collins has talked with and met repeatedly with Navy officials, including the Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations, to stress the importance of repairing the Miami and the importance of repairing the ship at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

          During consideration of the FY13 Defense Appropriations Bill, Collins led efforts to include an additional $150 million in the Senate's bill for Miami repairs, and was supportive of a separate request from the Department of Defense to reprogram FY12 funding for the Miami.