Hi everyone; it’s Kevin. Today is Thursday, June 24th. It’s been just over two months since we lost Smitty—Robb Smith—at Quonset Point on April 20th. In our safety stand-down following the tragedy, I asked you to re-commit to safety, and to be better tomorrow than we are today. Our goal for safety is zero injuries, and each of us needs to make this personal.
We’ve recently seen some positive trends with regard to safety. Our Recordable Injury Rate at Quonset Point is down 27%. Also, the number of fire incidents, electrical shocks, falling objects and controlled space violations at both QP and Groton are at an all-time low. While this trend is encouraging, it’s by no means a signal for complacency. We need to continue to adopt a total safety culture. That is, we individually do what we know is right from a perspective of being safe because we want to, not because we’re told to and because we’re looking out for one another – what I refer to as peer-to-peer accountability. We must get better at learning from safety incidents because the lessons we take away will allow us to continuously improve how we work. Expect to hear more about EB as a learning organization, particularly with regard to safety, in the coming weeks.
I’m also taking today’s podcast as an opportunity to tell you about our achievements across EB. On June 10th, SSN 791/Delaware floated off, a key milestone in completing her PSA. SSN 793/Oregon was approved to go in-service—that means the Navy crew is taking over in day-to-day operations on board— and SSN 795/Rickover is in shift work for initiation of Land Based Steaming, which we expect to start later this week.
The SSN 799/Idaho initial fill path continues to make progress with Controlled Pipe Joints at 13 remaining as the RT pass rate continues at 100%. We will achieve our milestone for initial fill on 799 well ahead of initial fill on the previous hull 798. That is something the EB team should be proud of because it is clear evidence of how better first-time quality enables better overall performance.
Down in King’s Bay, Georgia, we are completing the installation of a large vertical array on USS Tennessee. Our customer was concerned about ensuring we met the schedule for this installation because they needed to clear their dry dock to conduct repairs on it. I am pleased to report our team achieved the installation 10 days ahead of schedule using many of the same crew and lessons learned from the LVA installation on USS South Dakota right here in Groton.
At Quonset Point, Columbia’s Quad Pack 2 went to blast and paint with all hot work complete in support of the Integrated Tube and Hull build strategy. QP also accomplished the pairing of Columbia’s Quad 1 missile tubes 1, 2, 3 & 4 to the pressure hull inside the “F” Fixture.
For Block V, the hull 802 6/7 section was delivered to outfitting at 99% complete compared with 85% complete on the previous 801 hull, so some great progress being made hull to hull at Quonset.
On the South Yard Assembly Building, steel erection is moving quickly, and you can see changes in the EB skyline every day. For the latest aerial photos of the construction in progress, check out the Homeport photo library at the link we’ll provide in this transcript.
On Tuesday morning we marked the ceremonial start of construction for Building 604 in the Groton shipyard. When complete late next year, this 70,000 square-foot facility will house EB’s Radiological Emergency Response team, locally based Naval Reactors personnel, the Nuclear Test team and test training space, as well as the Emergency Command Center. These organizations are now located in several different facilities around our Groton site—co-location of these groups will increase efficiency and collaboration, and our new ECC will provide more modern working spaces for the multi-disciplinary team who would respond to any emergency in the shipyard.
While there are lots of opportunities to improve, I am proud to see this team work together to deliver the advantage that protects our sailors, our families and our Freedom.
Thanks for everything you do, and we’ll talk soon.
Rayha Report Ep. 20: 2026 EB Signing Days
Electric Boat held recent Signing Day ceremonies at Cranston West High School on May 21 and the Garde Arts Center in New London on May 28. EB President Mark Rayha spoke with students about their decision to join EB and educators who prepare their students for careers in shipbuilding. Click here to see the latest installment of the Rayha...Continue reading→
Save the Date: CT Health Fairs Kick Off June 9
A Message From Dan Vieira and Kathleen Heller At EB, Safety and Wellness go far beyond meeting basic compliance standards. Our focus is on building a culture where employees can thrive in every aspect of their lives. Prioritizing wellbeing is vital to being our best on the job and at home with our families. ...Continue reading→
Supporting Our Neighbors Impacted by The Ledges Apartments Fire
Early Sunday morning, a devastating fire occurred at The Ledges Apartments in Groton. Eighteen fire departments, including Electric Boat’s, responded. Thanks to the heroism of these first responders no residents were injured. The fire did, however, displace more than approximately 50 residents and destroyed or damaged 44 units in the building. Several EB employees were...Continue reading→
Pride Month Celebrations at Electric Boat
June 1st marks the start of Pride Month, a time for millions of LGBTQ+ individuals and allies around the world to come together in celebration and reflection. From film festivals and art shows, to marches and concerts, Pride is a vibrant tribute to LGBTQ+ culture, history and the relentless spirit of activism. It’s a chance...Continue reading→
Celebrating Our Next Generation of Shipbuilders
The Next Generation of Shipbuilders Takes the Stage Over the past two weeks, Electric Boat welcomed the next generation of shipbuilders at our Rhode Island and Connecticut Signing Day celebrations, marking the beginning of a journey that will help shape the future of our company and our nation’s defense. Held at Cranston High School West...Continue reading→
Update: Gold Star Bridge Project – Upcoming Traffic Impacts
CT DOT is preparing to enter the next major phase of the Gold Star Memorial Bridge Rehabilitation Project, and employees should expect new traffic patterns that may affect travel to and from EB’s Groton and New London facilities. A crossover will direct two northbound lanes onto the southbound bridge, as shown in this CT DOT...Continue reading→
PCU Utah Floats Off
PCU Utah (SSN 801) floated off the pontoon in Graving Dock #3 on Sunday, May 17, her hull seeing water for the first time. Huge congratulations to every Electric Boat shipbuilder whose hard work and dedication brought Utah to this major milestone!
Pathways to the Deep Officially Opens at Mystic Aquarium
On Monday, May 11th, we officially cut the ribbon on Pathways to the Deep, a brand-new interactive exhibit at Mystic Aquarium that connects ocean science, technology, exploration and careers through hands-on learning and discovery. This collaborative effort between General Dynamics Electric Boat, Mystic Aquarium, the Submarine Industrial Base and Build Submarines was created to spark curiosity and...Continue reading→
Electric Boat featured in ADC’s ‘Homefront’ Video Series
General Dynamics Electric Boat is featured in the latest episode of the Association of Defense Communities’ (ADC) Homefront video series, which examines military communities across the country. The episode highlights Electric Boat’s long-standing partnership with the U.S. Navy, the generations of shipbuilders who power our mission and the opportunities ahead for the next wave of...Continue reading→
Rayha Report Ep. 19: Operations Leadership Hiring Initiative
In his latest Rayha Report, EB President Mark Rayha speaks with Chief of Talent Acquisition Meredith Kyle on the ways the company is boosting operations leadership hiring. Joining them is Konrad Wennberg and Mike Simmons, who provide insight on their internal moves from engineering to operations supervisor positions.
