January 23, 2020 – Submarine Certification – Everyone’s Job

You are currently viewing January 23, 2020 – Submarine Certification – Everyone’s Job
Ledge Light Lighthouse

Many of you have recently watched a training video concerning VIRGINIA Class certification.  So why was it important for you to learn about our certification process?

Our submarine certification process is structured to ensure “maximum reasonable assurance” that the material condition of the ship is satisfactory for the safe conduct of trials and operation.  To provide this assurance, we rely on our workforce to comply with all material control and work processes.  Our certification system (7G and 3G databases) relies on:

  • Design/Engineering information to define material, work and testing requirements to support ship delivery in accordance with specification requirements
  • Work instructions to translate the design/engineering information into sequenced, discrete work and test packages
  • Performance of work and test in accordance with the detailed instructions and completion of the required Objective Quality Evidence (test data and signatures for work completion)
  • Re-entry controls on and documentation of any work performed on a component or system after initial completion
  • Identification of any issues or non-conformances in a timely manner
  • Tying any issues or liabilities identified to the specific hulls affected
  • Resolving any issues or liabilities in a manner that meets the technical requirements

Our certification is EB’s written guarantee that the material condition of the ship is in compliance with the authorized design and meets all requirements.  This robust system of accountability starts with you.  Everyone is responsible to ensure that we document all known material conditions immediately upon identification.  To support the upcoming certification of USS Vermont (SSN 792), you may be asked by your supervisor whether you are aware of any emergent issues that may affect the material condition of the ship or component we are certifying.

Our certification process relies on your adherence to procedures. This starts with you; therefore, the training is to ensure we all:

  • Know how our systems and processes work
  • Operate within these processes
  • Demonstrate formality and rigor in how we execute work, document and adjudicate liabilities

If you are unsure of whether or not an issue or liability is applicable to a hull before certification or have questions on the certification process, ask your supervisor.

The certification process also validates that we are in compliance with special emphasis program requirements (SUBSAFE, DSS-SOC and Fly-by-wire).  Last week’s Groton WIB discussed the USS Grayback incident that resulted in the death of five Navy divers and spawned the DSS-SOC certification process.  Every year, our SUBSAFE training reminds us of the loss of the USS Thresher; we listen silently as we hear the sounds of bulkheads and the hull collapsing and reflect on the lives that were lost with those sounds. From the Thresher tragedy, the SUBSAFE Program was born.  The special emphasis processes are focused on ensuring that uncontrolled flooding does not occur, the ship can recover from a flooding casualty, ship control is maintained and DSS personnel can be recovered without injury if there is an accident. Proper execution and material compliance for work in these programs is critical.

We must ensure that the submarines that we send to sea are ready for safe conduct of trials and operations in an environment that would otherwise not sustain human life.

Larry Runkle, VA Program Director

Groundbreaking Ceremony Marks Start of USS Groton Sail Monument

Fifty years after the USS Groton (SSN‑694) first launched, dozens gathered outside the Groton Public Library Oct. 9 to celebrate the groundbreaking of the USS Groton Sail Monument. The $6.6 million project—three decades in the making—will honor the men and women who design, build, operate and maintain the Navy’s submarines, as well as the families...Continue reading→

A Celebration of Heart, Community and Victory

2026 American Heart Association Eastern Connecticut Heart Walk Recap Saturday, October 3, 2026 | UConn Avery Point The 2026 American Heart Association Eastern Connecticut Heart Walk at UConn Avery Point was nothing short of extraordinary. Under bright autumn skies, 26 incredible Electric Boat teams and 151 walkers came together with passion, purpose, and unstoppable energy...Continue reading→

Electric Boat Joins Regional Leaders for Military Appreciation Breakfast

Electric Boat employees joined military and community leaders for the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut’s annual Military Appreciation Breakfast on Sept. 30 at Ocean Beach Park’s Port ‘N’ Starboard. The event provided more than 120 complimentary seats to active-duty service members from the Navy, Coast Guard and Connecticut National Guard. General Dynamics Electric Boat...Continue reading→

803 Section 2B/5 Transported from Quonset Point to Groton

PCU Arizona’s (SSGN 803) Section 2B/5 was successfully delivered to Groton from Quonset Point. At 184 feet in length, this section – which includes the Virginia Payload Module (VPM) – is the largest Virginia-class shipment ever transported. Arizona, the first submarine to incorporate VPM, will be about 460 feet long upon final construction. Section 2B/5...Continue reading→

Remembering September 11

On September 11, 2001, the Twin Towers of downtown Manhattan’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., were targeted in a series of coordinated attacks that would leave an everlasting imprint on our country’s psyche. As the events unfolded on that Tuesday morning, nearly 3,000 people lost their lives, over 600 were injured...Continue reading→