Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC) completed USNS Hunter’s (TSV 3) Chief of Naval Operations Availability, returning the training vessel to the fleet rotation on schedule Jan. 10. TSV 3 was undergoing a Docking Phased Maintenance Availability at Lyons Shipyard Inc., in Norfolk, Virginia. During the availability, the ship received a 10,000-hour top-end overhaul of its port and starboard main propulsion diesel engines; underwater hull, main deck, and above preservation; inspections of its tanks and voids, and port and starboard shaft repairs. MARMC, its industry partner, Lyons, and the ship’s force team success can be attributed to the common goal of getting the ship back to the fleet on schedule.
“Establishing and maintaining strong partnerships with our regional shipbuilding partners is vital to our success. When our goals align with the Navy’s mission of sustaining an operational and capable fleet, the results will always reflect that. I’m proud of the entire team,” said MARMC Commanding Officer Capt. Tim Barney.
“The shaft repairs were challenging projects due to fabrication. The metal needed for fabrication was long-lead-time material. Lyons was able to procure the material promptly and make the repairs, which allowed us to unlock the vessel five days early. Lyon shared goals made it easy to establish trust within the team construct from the very beginning. Being able to communicate openly made the availability go smoothly and ultimately successfully,” said MARMC Project Manager Veal Pope.
USNS Hunter is one of five training support vessels operated by Carrier Strike Group Four (CSG 4). Through a realistic training environment that includes academic, synthetic, and live training, TSVs are critical assets that support certification exercises for deploying carrier strike groups, Amphibious Ready Groups/Marine Expeditionary Units, and independent deployers. TSVs provide services that include information warfare, surface target and aerial drone presentations for live-fire events, maritime interdiction operations for boarding team training, and a variety of other missions.
MARMC, a directorate under Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), provides surface ship maintenance, management, and oversight of private sector maintenance and fleet technical assistance to ships in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and provides support to the fifth and sixth Fleet Area of Responsibilities. They are also responsible for the floating dry-dock Dynamic (AFDL-6). MARMC works with an exciting range of equipment that is the core background of the world’s greatest Navy – powerful generators system control technology, valves, weapon systems, and replenishment equipment that is continuously subject to extreme conditions. Their Waterfront Operations, Production, and Engineering Departments perform this work every day. In addition, MARMC hires business support personnel to ensure the team can effectively complete our mission: Project Managers, Financial and Business Analysts, Contracting Specialists, Quality Assurance, Information Technology experts, and many others.
