VCNO Tours Northeast Shipyards, Navy Leaders Prioritize Readiness

This week, Vice Admiral Kilby completed a comprehensive tour of significant naval facilities in the Northeast United States. The tour began at General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut, where Kilby engaged directly with the USS Hartford (SSN 768) and participated in discussions with the leadership team and crew amid ongoing submarine engineering overhaul operations.

Electric Boat, recognized as the primary contractor and lead design yard for Virginia-class fast-attack submarines, hosted the Vice Admiral before he continued to Naval Submarine New London. There, Kilby attended the launch of a new AI & Machine Learning Lab at the Undersea Warfighting Development Center, an institution pivotal in maintaining undersea supremacy and enhancing combat efficacy.

New London Naval Submarine Base accommodates 16 fast-attack submarines and supports over 70 commands, encompassing 9,500 active-duty, reserve, and civilian personnel. Subsequent to his stint in Connecticut, Kilby proceeded to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. The shipyard is a national leader in attack submarine maintenance, repair, and modernization, where Kilby engaged with both leadership and operational teams.

Kilby’s itinerary concluded in Bath, Maine, at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works. Bath specializes in designing and constructing the Navy’s surface combat vessels, particularly the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. At Bath, Kilby examined operational strategies alongside Supervisor of Shipbuilding leadership, overseeing the design and construction of six ship classes across three private yards.

Critical discussions during Kilby’s visits highlighted the Quality of Service for Sailors and shipyard employees, addressing concerns like childcare, parking, and dining options. Additionally, he emphasized the indispensable role shipyards fulfill in realizing the CNO’s Navigation Plan 2024.

In Bath, Kilby conversed with the future USS John Basilone (DDG 122) crew. “You should be immensely proud to contribute to the helm honoring John Basilone,” Kilby remarked, underscoring Basilone’s legacy as an American warrior and Medal of Honor and Navy Cross recipient. The upcoming commissioning in New York City on November 9, 2024, marks the ship’s transition into active service.

The sail-away ceremony, a symbolic completion of construction, marks the destroyer’s embarkation to its operational deployment or commissioning site, heralding its readiness to fulfill its designated missions.