Norfolk Naval Shipyard preps for newest class of carriers with $300 million renovation
Norfolk Naval Shipyard broke ground Wednesday on a $300 million renovation that will modernize a historic dry dock to serve the Navy’s newest class of warships.
The multi-year renovation will bring Dry Dock 8 up to par with the USS Gerald R. Ford CVN-78. The new carrier is 4 feet wider and displaces 3,000 tons more than its Nimitz-class predecessors.
Dry Dock 8, which dates to 1942, will undergo saltwater upgrades to meet capacity and flow demand required to support a docked carrier, as well as caisson reports to allow faster, more controlled, flooding of the dock, and pump repairs. Of the $300 million, $90 million will be invested to repair the two berths adjacent to the dock.
The renovation of Dry Dock 8 is Norfolk Naval Shipyard’s biggest project as part of the Navy’s Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP).
“Today signifies a new chapter in the story of SIOP and this historic facility as the shipyard workforce prepares for its new mission of supporting CVN 78,” said Pete Lynch, Program Executive Officer for Industrial Infrastructure responsible for the program. “CVN 78 is a critical enabler of increased naval capability and ushers in a new era of maritime readiness.”
The shipyard is also in the middle of a $200 million renovation on Dry Dock 4, the shipyards largest submarine dry dock.
Caitlyn Burchett, caitlyn.burchett@virginiamedia.com
