USS Fitzgerald arrives in MS for repair, restoration
NewsJanuary 22, 2018
WASHINGTON. The U.S. Navy reports that the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) arrived in Pascagoula, Mississippi, on January 19 aboard the heavy-lift vessel MV Transshelf after having traveled from Yokosuka, Japan.
The Fitzgerald was involved in a collision with the Philippine-flagged ship ACX Crystal on June 17, 2017. During the accident, seven sailors lost their lives and the ship was damaged on the starboard side above and below the waterline.
The Fitzgerald is expected to spend several days in the port of Pascagoula as the heavy-lift ship unfastens, lowers, and guides the ship off the platform; the ship will then be taken to its designated pier space at Huntington Ingalls Industries shipyard.
U.S. Navy documents show that repairs and upgrades will include various hull mechanical and electrical (HME); command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence; and combat system equipment, including the electronic warfare suite, radar, switchboard, gas turbine generator, and air-conditioning plant, require repair and/or replacement. Fitzgerald will also receive upgrades to these systems that were originally planned for installation during 2019.
Work on the ship is expected to occur in a land-level facility throughout 2018 and one to two quarters of 2019, followed by an extensive test and trials period to ensure all systems and spaces are restored to full functionality and operational capability.
