The largest floating dry dock in California arrived at BAE systems ship repair facility in Barrio Logan on Thursday December 8 2016 from China as part of BAE’s USD $100 million investment in the shipyard. It will help deal with an estimated increase in US Navy ships around the West Coast.
At 950 feet long, the dry dock is capable of lifting 55,000 long tons, according to BAE Systems official. The shipyard is located on one of the U.S. Navy's mega-ports in the San Diego Bay, adjacent to the U.S. Naval Station.
Joe Campbell, Vice President and General Manager of BAE Systems ship repair said, “With two large dry docks now in our shipyard, we’ll enhance the San Diego industrial base’s ability to repair warships in their home port, providing the key maintenance and modernization work needed for the ships’ continued service to our nation and the stability for the ships’ crews.” Campbell went on to say “we have made the strategic investment to meet the ship repair needs of the Navy”.
In the coming two months, the BAE Systems team is set to complete final assembly, installation, testing and certification of the dry dock, which is projected to be in operation by early 2017.
The first ship to be serviced in the dry dock will be the San Antonio class amphibious transport dock ship, USS New Orleans LPD 18.
