Shared Expertise, Strengthened Fleet PNSY and TRF-KB Collaborate on Hull Treatment Training
This joint effort demonstrated how proactive knowledge sharing and a unified community of practice
strengthen the broader naval Foundry—ensuring all shipyards and intermediate maintenance facilities strengthening the maritime industrial base for global defense and deterrence.
Building on a multi-year partnership, this latest collaboration focused on preparing TRF-KB for the upcoming arrival of Columbia-class submarines at their facility. Because Virginia-class shares similar maintenance profiles with the new Columbia-class, PNSY’s current operations provided the perfect real-world training ground. TRF-KB personnel traveled to Portsmouth to receive specialized instruction in Virginia-class special hull treatment (SHT) and ultra-high pressure (UHP) operations.
Led by Dana Jewett, coatings and coverings training coordinator, the PNSY team delivered an in-depth curriculum that bridged theory and practice. The training combined comprehensive classroom instruction—including advanced techniques on the five-axis router—with rigorous hands-on application. TRF-KB personnel were given the unique opportunity to actively execute UHP operations on USS New Mexico (SSN 779) and SHT installation on USS Washington (SSN 787).
“I worked closely with the Kings Bay team months prior to their arrival to ensure that we got them the training and skillset they needed,” said Jewett. “It is satisfying to be able to share our training material and knowledge with other submarine maintenance facilities. Not only does knowledge sharing build strong partnerships to complete the Navy’s mission, it creates efficiency and avoids reinventing the wheel.”
“The classroom instruction combined with hands-on training gave our team the ultimate confidence to execute these critical procedures safely and efficiently moving forward,” said Ivan Davis, TRF-KB team lead. “Our craftsmen fully embraced this challenge and feel fortunate to have received such expert instruction for this specialized and critical skill set. As well, I’d like to extend special appreciation to Mr. Veino, coatings and coverings superintendent, and his entire staff in the coatings and coverings shop for their exceptional professionalism, patience, and support.”
Central to the success of this hands-on approach was PNSY’s comprehensive mock-up training site. Peerapon “PJ” Lanpolsaen, plastic fabricator training leader, was the lead in the mock-up training. “These physical mock-ups provided Kings Bay operators with the critical ability to hone their skills and build muscle memory in a highly realistic, yet completely safe-to-fail environment,” said Lanpolsaen. “Sharing my trade knowledge with other industry professionals was a unique experience that I won’t forget.”
Due to the nature of the job, safety and innovation remain constant priorities in UHP operations. Over the past decade, PNSY’s coatings and coverings department has championed grassroots innovations, systematically refining equipment and overhauling procedures to maximize workforce safety.
Rather than forcing other shipyards and submarine maintenance facilities to learn these lessons the hard way, PNSY readily shares its well-developed operational expertise. By the end of the exchange, PNSY team provided TRF-KB with a complete package of specialized training materials. Armed with PNSY’s best practices, TRF-KB returned home not just with new skills, but with a proven operational blueprint—ready to safely maintain the next generation of the Navy’s fleet.
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