Rhode Island arrives for high priority ERO

RHODE ISLAND ARRIVES FOR HIGH-PRIORITY ERO

BY ANNA TAYLOR • PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST PHOTOS BY SHAYNE HENSLEY • NNSY PHOTOGRAPHER 18 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • FEBRUARY 2016

USS Rhode Island (SSBN-740) arrived at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) in December for its 27-month Engineered Refueling Overhaul (ERO), a major availability during which the submarine will be refueled and upgraded before returning to support the country’s nuclear deterrence strategy.

In early 2015, Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Jonathan Greenert, emphasized the importance of Ballistic Missile Submarine overhauls, and the Rhode Island availability will be NNSY’s top priority, a first for SSBN EROs at the shipyard. The availability, which will exceed more than 500,000 mandays, officially started Jan. 27 and is scheduled to last into 2018.

“In order for this to be achievable, the shipyard

will have to execute 95 percent of the production work during the dry dock portion, which lasts 18 months,” said Mark Cook, Rhode Island Project Superintendent. “To accomplish this, NNSY will need to average 13,000 mandays of production earned value per month during the docking period, which is significantly higher than past EROs.” Rhode Island is one of the United States' most vital strategic assets, and combined with the other Ohio-class submarines, makes up one leg of the nuclear triad. Major work to be completed includes refueling and electronics upgrades. The project team has been planning for Rhode Island’s ERO for more than a year, and Cook says they are well-prepared to set a new standard for Ohio-class EROs at NNSY. FEBRUARY 2016 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • 19