Senator Collins Welcomes Chief of Naval Operations to PNSY, BIW

BATH, ME –Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins visited Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) in Kittery and Bath Iron Works (BIW) to tour the shipyards alongside Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle.
“It was a pleasure to welcome Admiral Caudle to Maine to see firsthand the skilled workforce and critical operations underway at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and Bath Iron Works,”said Senator Collins.“These shipyards play an essential role in maintaining our Navy’s readiness and supporting our national security. From sustaining our submarine fleet at PNSY to building advanced destroyers at BIW, the work being done in Maine is vital. Today’s visits reinforced the importance of continuing to invest in shipyard infrastructure, expanding skilled manufacturing training in Maine, and ensuring a consistent and predictable demand signal so these shipyards can sustain a strong workforce and maintain production capacity.”

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At PNSY, Senator Collins and Admiral Caudle received updates on ongoing infrastructure improvements and submarine maintenance operations. They discussed workforce and capacity challenges as the shipyard prepares to increase its submarine workload. The visit included a tour of key facilities and discussions on priorities to support the shipyard’s workers, including housing and childcare needs.
They also toured progress on several projects at PNSY that Senator Collinssecuredfunding for through recently enacted appropriations legislation, including efforts to modernize dry dock facilities and upgrade critical power and water systems. These improvements will help the shipyard complete submarine maintenance more efficiently, reduce delays, and support the workforce that keeps these vessels ready for deployment.

ClickHERE,HERE,HERE, andHEREfor individual photos.
At BIW, Senator Collins and Admiral Caudle toured manufacturing and training facilities and met with employees and leadership to discuss the future priorities of the shipyard and its workforce. They emphasized the importance of a consistent and predictable demand signal to sustain production for the shipyard’s workforce and supplier base, as well as ongoing efforts to recruit and train new workers.
Senator Collinssecuredfunding through the recently enacted defense appropriations bill to support the shipbuilding industrial base at BIW, including investments in shipyard infrastructure, advance procurement for DDG-51 destroyers, and workforce wage enhancements.
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