The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Mahan (DDG 72) officially returned to the fleet Sept. 13, after completing an 18-month Chief of Naval Operations availability. 

Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC) provided oversight for the Extended Selected Restricted Availability, which was awarded to Marine Hydraulics International in Norfolk, Virginia, in early 2018. 

During the availability, the ship received Hull, Mechanical, and Electrical and Combat Systems upgrades to include forward and aft stack replacement, intake preservation, fan room repair and preservation, radar tank level indicators (TLI) alterations, digital fuel control system installations, ballistic missile defense computer program 4.0, vertical launching systems vent modifications, as well as inspections of all tanks.

“We completed a lot of complicated work,” said Project Manager James Young. “Much of it was concentrated on corrosion control and preservation with a lot of time also spent on alterations to the TLI due to the inherent complexity of the system.” 

Successfully completing an extended availability is a wide-ranging team effort that involves a number of personnel beyond the prime contractor. The managers, engineers and shipbuilding specialists at MARMC worked closely with the ship’s crew to oversee progress on the availability and to execute a number of intermediate-level maintenance projects required to get the ship back to sea.  

Long availabilities are always taxing on the morale of the crew and the maintenance team praised them for their dedication and enthusiasm to return their ship to duty. 

“Ship’s force was involved in every single checkpoint and really took ownership. They wanted to be a huge part of this availability,” said Project Support Engineer Cory Brewbaker. “Whenever we needed something from the crew they were more than eager to roger up.” 

When Mahan departed Naval Station Norfolk for sea trials in early September it was the first time the ship had been underway in 2019. Now, the focus turns to Type Commander sea trials and sailor training, and eventual deployment.

MARMC provides surface ship maintenance, management and oversight of private sector maintenance and fleet technical assistance to ships in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and provides support to the 5th and 6th Fleet Area of Responsibility.

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