Hi everyone; it’s Kevin. Today is Monday, April 18 (date recorded). This week’s podcast is a business update.
Two new attack submarines were delivered to our submarine force in the first quarter of this year. EB delivered the future USS Oregon, SSN 793, to the Navy on February 26th. She’s scheduled to be commissioned here in Groton on May 28th. I’m proud, and all of you should be proud as well, of the effort and dedication it took to deliver this high-quality product, despite all of the challenges we faced together. On March 12th, Newport News delivered SSN 794, PCU Montana. Both of these boats are sorely needed by the U.S. Navy as submarines provide our nation with an advantage in the great power competition we are in against Russia and China.
Russia is the technical and operational pacer for undersea competition and it continues to build submarine classes with asymmetric capabilities. China continues to develop its Navy, continues to threaten Taiwan and has demonstrated a hypersonic missile capability. Combined, these threats from Russia and China are driving a demand signal for more capable submarines. Our Engineering and Design teams, along with our Operations teams, have responded by upgrading and evolving the Virginia platform and by preparing for the next generation of attack submarines, known as SSN(X).
I’d like to take a moment to recognize a member of the EB family who we lost last April 20th. Robb Smith’s loss serves as a reminder to us all that we work in a challenging industrial environment and the rules and procedures we follow are designed to keep us all safe. Our number-one priority, every day, is to send every single one of you and me home in the same condition we arrived in.
That’s why it’s so critical that we achieve a Total Safety Culture at Electric Boat, where we behave with 200% accountability to ourselves and each other. Earlier in the year, I talked about the importance of traveling safely to and from our job sites. At that time “to and from” injuries made up roughly 30% of our total injuries. Your attention to safe travel on ladders, stairs, and simply walking around the workplace has knocked that number down to less than 16%–we’ve cut it in half, so thank you. But we can do even better. Please continue to make sure you have hands on the ladders, mind the rail on stairs and stay alert when you’re walking.
Also, you’ll recall we had several fire-related events early in the year. We’ve since improved by cleaning our facilities and closely following procedures. But there’s still work to be done. Let’s focus on setting a new record for safety at Electric Boat this year.
On Columbia, our nation’s number-one defense acquisition program, we are performing to a challenging, achievable schedule and have retired some significant risks over the last year. For example, in March, we had the highest earned-hours per month on Columbia to date. As a reminder, earned-hours measure how we have satisfactorily completed work to budget.
I’d like to recognize our Planning team for the progress they’ve made in getting work orders issued to Quonset Point and Groton in support of Columbia construction. In the first quarter of last year, 203,000 work orders were issued. In the first quarter of this year, the team issued 307,000 work orders—an increase of 104,000. That’s great progress, and a similar effort has been underway on Virginia with the VPM work going on at Quonset Point. Good news Planning; please keep up the great work.
Other key deliverables we’ve made on Columbia recently include landing the Command and Control Systems Module, or the CCSM, second platform deck assemblies on the outfitting fixtures and completing installation of the main propulsion motor foundations to the motor module. Also, we’ve tested our new barge Holland at Quonset Point and demonstrated that she will operate as intended with the new pier, loading and off-loading modules.
On the Virginia program, we’ve achieved several milestones on boats currently under construction, including:
- QP shipping three modules, including the first for SSN 804, PCU Barb.
- We completed propulsion system operations on SSN 797, PCU Iowa, demonstrating the team’s continued improvement on nuclear-path key events. The work was completed in 33 days, which represents a best-ever span for the Groton team.
- The engine-room-closure hull butt was started on SSN 799, PCU Idaho. This ship is on track to complete power unit end-load and two of three closure hull butts prior to section 1-2A arriving from Newport News.
In maintenance and modernization, progress continues on Historic Ship Nautilus, and we anticipate her delivery back to the Submarine Force Library and Museum later this summer. Work continues on the USS Hartford’s Smart Start, with the team recently completing the seventh and last hull-access cut. We are tracking well to our schedule on this large job. Work also continues on USS Vermont’s PSA; she came back to the Groton shipyard in November, and we expect to deliver her back to the Navy later this year.
Our Facilities team celebrated the topping-off for the South Yard Assembly Building on March 10, marking the placement of the last steel beam atop the structure. Siding installation and internal outfitting continues on the building, which is slated to open in the first quarter of next year. We’re making great progress there.
With regard to hiring, we have a goal to add more than 3,000 employees to our ranks this year. It’s a challenging time for all companies to hire given the impacts from COVID on the job market, retirements and people choosing to leave the workforce earlier than expected. In response, we’re getting the word out that EB is hiring. We continue to run ads during live sporting events, on YouTube and social media. Hopefully you’re seeing some of those; stay tuned for our newest ads which should start running by the end of the month.
CareerConn 2022 took place at Mohegan Sun on March 29. Approximately 2,200 students from 77 different high schools around the state were bussed to Mohegan Sun to get a look at what kind of options are available to them other than two- or four-year colleges. We connected with over 300 students who were interested in a career at EB and are in the process of following up with the students and the schools. Remember, if you know someone who wants a life-long career, with the opportunity to learn and grow, doing important work for our nation, send them our way.
That’s it for now. Thanks everyone; we’ll talk again soon.
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