Unique USS Scranton (SSN 756) availability nears its endgame

Unique USS Scranton (SSN 756) availability nears its endgame

By Max Maxfield, PSNS & IMF Public Affairs

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility personnel on temporary duty to San Diego have helped push forward a Drydocking Selected Restricted Availability on Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Scranton (SSN 756), which undocked from the floating dry dock ARCO (ARDM-5) at Naval Base Point Loma, California, Sept. 4.

According to Joe McGrath, deputy project superintendent, Code 392, Submarine Program, PSNS & IMF provided up to 908 TDY personnel at one point in the availability, working alongside ship's force as well as personnel from PSNS & IMF San Diego Detachment, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Detachment Point Loma, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Point Loma, the Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, the crew of floating dry dock ARCO (ARDM-5) and Submarine Squadron 11.

McGrath said the PSNS & IMF TDY team is down to about 330 people, and is now shifting gears to the endgame, while working alongside another project team on the same pier, which is a first for Point Loma.

He said the Scranton availability was unique for PSNS & IMF personnel because of the class of vessel, as well as the location and facilities used.

"The entire concept of executing a 688-class CNO availability off station presented a steep learning curve," McGrath said. "We had to work with a new squadron; another shipyard and their detachment; and a floating dry dock with their own command. New work pushed the project past a year. Due to tax laws, the entire project team needed to be replaced over the course of the project, which caused churn."

Based on workload forecasting, NAVSEA leadership made the decision more than two years ago to assign the Scranton DSRA to PSNS & IMF.

At the beginning of the availability Rear Adm. Scott Brown, deputy commander, Naval Sea Systems Command Industrial Operations, said he was proud of how the "One NAVSEA Team" came together to figure out how to best accomplish the work, and how the project is a good example of how NAVSEA embraces collaboration and is open to a variety of approaches to best support the fleet.

"PSNS & IMF and PNS collaborated with local San Diego tenant commands and activities to ensure this availability is executed safely, efficiently and on time," he said. "This availability is an example of how improved alignment and cooperation between the public shipyards leverages our combined strengths in support of the fleet."

According to McGrath, the age of the vessel also presented a challenge to the team.

"The boat is nearing the End of Service Life and her age is showing," he said. "Maintenance always proves to be more difficult as they get older."

Despite the unique challenges of this availability, the entire team pushed hard to get the work done.

"A few drumbeat meetings like ship's force night work and combined test meetings really got the project aligned on the priorities," he said. "This has turned into an unexpectedly long duration project that has kept people away from their families and lives back home for a year."