EB News April-May 2013 - Electric Boat Corporation

development and introduction ofthe new IPDE tools and processes.There’s a tremendous amount ofwork going on to reduce the costof design and provide the shipyardwith a highly producible designthat gives them the informationrequired to build the submarine inthe most effective way.What kind of workforcedevelopment will berequired to meet thesechallenges?We’re in a very interestingtime. The workforce demographicsprovide us with somegreat opportunities as well assome challenges. If you lookat the Engineering and Designworkforce, we’ve got a groupof very senior people who’vebeen through several designprograms. We also have aneven larger number of relativelynew folks who have not beenthrough a full program yet. Soour challenge is this: how dowe transfer the knowledge ofthose with extensive submarinedesign experience to the newerengineers and designers. Bythe same token, we have anopportunity to benefit fromour newer employees and thefamiliarity they have with potentiallyrelevant technologies.Pete Halvordson, MDA-UAW President Bill Louis andothers are also working veryhard with the results of theVeritas survey to develop waysto make Electric Boat evenbetter – a better business and abetter place to work.And we’re continuing toexplore how we can take fulladvantage of our New Londonfacility to improve our abilityto collaborate and integrateacross all of the organizationsengaged in the Ohio Replacementdesign.ELECTRIC BOAT PRESIDENT KEVIN POITRAS SHARES A MOMENT WITH FORMER SEN. JOHN WARNER DURINGKEEL-LAYING CEREMONY FOR THE SUBMARINE JOHN WARNER (SSN-785), THE 12TH VIRGINIA-CLASS SHIP.KEEL IS LAID FOR SUBMARINE JOHN WARNERANEWPORT NEWS, VA.keel-laying ceremony for the submarineJohn Warner (SSN-785) was held recentlyat Huntington Ingalls Industries - NewportNews Shipbuilding.The 12th Virginia-class submarine is named forformer five-term U.S. Senator from Virginia andSecretary of the Navy John Warner.In a time-honored Navy tradition, the initialsof Jeanne Warner, the submarine’s sponsor, werewelded onto a steel plate that will be permanentlyaffixed to the submarine’s hull. The submarine’snamesake also had his initials welded onto theplate.“The Navy and the submarine force arehonored to have Mrs. Warner serve as thesponsor for the future USS John Warner,” saidCapt. David Goggins, Virginia-class programmanager. “The event marks the first major constructionmilestone for the submarine and helpsforge a special bond between Mrs. Warner, hersubmarine, and her crew that will last for yearsto come.”John Warner’s keel laying is the submarine’sfirst major event since it began constructionin March 2010. The submarine is on track tocontinue the Virginia-class program’s trend ofdelivering submarines early to their contractdelivery dates.“John Warner’s keel laying is a special dayfor our Navy, the Commonwealth of Virginiaand our shipbuilding partners,” said Rear Adm.David Johnson, program executive officer forsubmarines. “Building the Virginia Class is ateam effort and the skill and commitment ofthe entire shipbuilding team is evident in thefirst-time quality and operational successes ofthese front-line platforms.”The shipbuilders are working to ensure thesubmarine John Warner will extend the Virginiaprogram’s record for delivery on or ahead ofschedule and at or below target cost.Speaking on behalf of Electric Boat, PresidentKevin Poitras said, “By sustaining this level ofperformance – and improving on it – the Virginiateam will help ensure a continuing productionrate of two submarines per year.“An example of the team’s commitment tomaintaining Virginia as a model acquisitionprogram occurred less than a month ago, hesaid. “That was when North Dakota, the firstBlock III ship, achieved pressure-hull completeat Electric Boat’s shipyard. We reached thismilestone two months earlier than any of theprevious Virginia-class submarines.“In the current defense-spending environment,it is imperative that each successive shipof the class embody similar meaningful costand schedule improvements,” said Poitras. “Asshipbuilders, we must renew our promise toour customer and congressional supporters toproduce affordable Virginia-class submarines.By doing this, we will help the fleet attain thesubmarine force levels required to retain underseadominance.”Warner’s keel laying is the first of severalmajor shipbuilding milestones for the Virginiaclassprogram in 2013. The submarine Minnesota’s(SSN-783) commissioning is scheduledfor Sept. 7 and North Dakota’s (SSN-784) christeningis expected this fall. Delaware (SSN-791)will begin construction Sept. 2.ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS | | APRIL/MAY FEBRUARY 2013 2012 | 7