By Public Affairs Office, Submarine Maintenance Engineering,
Planning & Procurement (SUBMEPP)
NAVSEA-SUBMEPP
has followed the lead of CINCPAC and SUBPAC in establishing friendships with
the Republic of Singapore Navy. While the effort did not involve a bilateral
mission such as the yearly Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT)
exercise, knowledge was contributed from SUBMEPP’s 35 years of experience in
the engineering and management of submarine maintenance.
The Republic of
Singapore Navy (RSN) recently acquired 4 ex-Sjoormen class submarines from
the Royal Swedish Navy. The country has stood up its first submarine
squadron, and now its logistics department, headed by RADM Jway Ching Hua,
has sought NAVSEA's expertise in establishing maintenance programs of the
requisite quality for safe and reliable undersea operations. Singapore
shipyards are world class, but the concept of maintaining submarines is new
to them.
"The RSN recognizes the US Submarine Force and the NAVSEA organization as
world class performers," Captain Dave Herbein, CO, SUBMEPP noted. "It seeks
to emulate our rigor in workforce development and maintenance processes. My
Chief Engineer, Tim Bassett, gave a short SUBMEPP overview to RADM Jway in
August of 2000. RADM Jway said to my boss, RADM Davis, 'I want a SUBMEPP for
my submarines.” That was the seed that grew into the exchange of maintenance
and repair processes and organizational structure that occurred in
Portsmouth (NH) this week.
There may be future opportunities for NAVSEA-SUBMEPP to consult or help
Singapore more actively to develop discipline in its work definition,
acceptance criteria, and planned maintenance scheduling processes. The
country appears interested in the possibility of applying the US model to
build confidence and performance throughout their maintenance and logistics
enterprise.
"SUBMEPP was pleased to host the Republic of Singapore Navy," Captain
Herbein added. "We hope it furthered the friendships that the Fleet, Team
Submarine, and NAVSEA have established with the RSN. Ultimately, we hope
NAVSEA-SUBMEPP's contributions help to improve the readiness of Singapore's
submarines and ensure the safety of its sailors."
-USN-
