Iraqi Navy Ship Repair Facility Opens

VSE Corporation's GLOBAL Division teamed with the U.S. Naval Sea Systems command December 1 at a ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the official opening of the Iraqi Navy Ship Repair Facility (SRF) in Umm Qasr, Iraq.

VSE helped develop the SRF, which now serves as the Iraqi Navy's maintenance headquarters. The SRF is one of the first fully operational facilities in Iraq as part of the post war infrastructure sustainment. The facility, which was procured as part of a larger Foreign Military Sales case with the Iraqi Navy, will support five different vessel classes. Assisting in the development and management of the facility includes VSE Iraq Team Leader Steve Bennett and VSE Iraq Team Program Manager Hal Jones.

"We began work on the ship repair facility in 2010," said Jones. "VSE has been providing hands-on-training in intermediate-level maintenance and repair capability to the growing fleet of Iraqi Navy vessels. VSE has teamed with NAVSEA to make the facility fully operational. The hands-on training has been very successful and we look forward to our continued partnership with NAVSEA and the Iraqi Navy."

The SRF is divided into five major centers to oversee the repair work including an electrical shop; inside machine shop dedicated to engines; outside machine shop to repair mechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic systems; welding and ship-fitting shop; and a welding and pipe-fitting shop. The NAVSEA/VSE Team has installed more than 40 industrial machines in the SRF as well as providing spare parts and all support equipment required to safely operate industrial equipment.

"The facility houses $10 million worth of state-of-the-art industrial machinery and now is officially turned over to the Iraq Navy via restructuring assistance," said VSE International Group President Harry Flammang. "We are proud to be a partner with NAVSEA and the Iraq Navy in the deployment of this very modern facility."