USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) departs from Naval Base Kitsap, Washington, on a regularly scheduled deployment in January 2006. The drydocks in Puget Sound are large enough to accommodate Nimitz-class carriers such as the Stennis, but not Ford-class carriers like the upcoming USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), requiring a costly upgrade. (US Navy/Master Chief Mass Communication Spc. Jerry McLain)

US Navy to Move Forward on $15 Billion Puget Sound Shipyard Expansion

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Until the upgrade is complete, Washington-based Ford-class supercarriers that need drydock maintenance will need to sail all the way to Virginia.

The Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF), the specialized industrial shipyard located within the Bremerton portion of Naval Base Kitsap, is the only facility on the West Coast able to conduct maintenance on the United States Navy’s Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarriers.

However, the shipyard is not currently capable of conducting maintenance on the larger Ford-class aircraft carriers. These vessels would have to travel all the way around South America to get to a facility in Virginia where they can be drydocked.

To eliminate this hurdle, the US Navy is exploring a modernization of the West Coast facilities. In February, it began an environmental impact study to finalize the proposed upgrades that could support its Ford-class supercarriers. 

The US Navy could soon begin to select the contractors for the overhaul of the Bremerton shipyard, which includes a proposed $15 billion construction of a new drydock at Naval Base Kitsap, along with other upgrades to the waterfront.

“The multi-award contract will offer up to five prime contractors........

© The National Interest