Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
Encyclopedia
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF) is a United States Navy
shipyard
covering 179 acres (0.7 km²) on Puget Sound
at Bremerton, Washington
. Historically it was known as Navy Yard Puget Sound, Bremerton Navy Yard, and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
It is bordered on the south by Sinclair Inlet
, on the west by the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap
, and on the north and east by the city of Bremerton, Washington
. It is the Pacific Northwest
's largest naval shore facility
and one of Washington state's largest industrial installations. PSNS & IMF provides the Navy with maintenance, modernization, and technical and logistics support.
, the Navy Yard constructed ships, including 25 subchasers, seven submarine
s, two minesweepers, seven seagoing tugs, and two ammunition ships, as well as 1,700 small boats. During World War II
, the shipyard's primary effort was the repair of battle damage to ships of the U.S. fleet and those of its allies.
Following World War II, Navy Yard Puget Sound was designated Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. It engaged in an extensive program of modernizing carriers, including converting conventional flight decks to angle decks. During the Korean War
, the shipyard was engaged in the activation of ships. In the late 1950s, it entered an era of new construction with the building of a new class of guided missile frigate
s. In 1965, USS Sculpin (SSN 590)
became the first nuclear-powered submarine to be maintained at PSNS. The shipyard was designated a National Historic Landmark
in 1992. The historic district includes 22 contributing buildings and 42 contributing structures, as well as 49 non-contributing buildings, structures, and objects.
(SRP) to recycle nuclear-powered ships at PSNS. Approximately 25% of the shipyard's workload involves inactivation, reactor compartment disposal, and recycling of ships. It has pioneered an environmentally safe method of deactivating and recycling nuclear-powered ships. This process places the U.S. Navy in the role of being the world's only organization to design, build, operate, and recycle nuclear-powered ships. On May 15, 2003 PSNS and IMF were consolidated into what is now known as PSNS & IMF.
, a large collection of inactive U.S. Navy vessels, including several aircraft carriers. The ships are mothballed
, meaning that they are stored in case they are needed by the Navy in the future.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
covering 179 acres (0.7 km²) on Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
at Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
. Historically it was known as Navy Yard Puget Sound, Bremerton Navy Yard, and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
It is bordered on the south by Sinclair Inlet
Sinclair Inlet
Sinclair Inlet is an arm of Puget Sound in Kitsap County, Washington, USA. It is the southwestern extension of Port Orchard, and it touches the shores of three of Kitsap County's four incorporated cities: Bremerton, Bainbridge Island, and Port Orchard. It is connected to Dyes Inlet by the Port...
, on the west by the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap
Naval Base Kitsap
Naval Base Kitsap is a U.S. Navy base located on the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington state. It was created in 2004 by merging the former Naval Station Bremerton with Naval Submarine Base Bangor...
, and on the north and east by the city of Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
. It is the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
's largest naval shore facility
Shore facility
Shore facility is one of the facilities located on shore used for receiving ships and transferring cargo and people to them. Ports and marinas constitute a collection of shore facilities...
and one of Washington state's largest industrial installations. PSNS & IMF provides the Navy with maintenance, modernization, and technical and logistics support.
History
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard was established in 1891 as a Naval Station and was designated Navy Yard Puget Sound in 1901. During World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the Navy Yard constructed ships, including 25 subchasers, seven submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s, two minesweepers, seven seagoing tugs, and two ammunition ships, as well as 1,700 small boats. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the shipyard's primary effort was the repair of battle damage to ships of the U.S. fleet and those of its allies.
Following World War II, Navy Yard Puget Sound was designated Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. It engaged in an extensive program of modernizing carriers, including converting conventional flight decks to angle decks. During the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, the shipyard was engaged in the activation of ships. In the late 1950s, it entered an era of new construction with the building of a new class of guided missile frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s. In 1965, USS Sculpin (SSN 590)
USS Sculpin (SSN-590)
USS Sculpin , a Skipjack-class nuclear-powered submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the sculpin....
became the first nuclear-powered submarine to be maintained at PSNS. The shipyard was designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1992. The historic district includes 22 contributing buildings and 42 contributing structures, as well as 49 non-contributing buildings, structures, and objects.
Installations
Perhaps the most visible feature of the shipyard is its huge green hammerhead crane, built in 1933. The PSNS hammerhead crane is 250 feet (76.2 m) tall and 80 feet (24.4 m) wide with a lifting capacity of 250 tons. The hammerhead crane has not been used for many years.Ship-Submarine Recycling Program
In 1990 the Navy authorized the Ship-Submarine Recycling ProgramShip-Submarine recycling program
The Ship/Submarine Recycling Program is the process the United States Navy uses to dispose of decommissioned nuclear vessels. SRP takes place only at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, but the preparations can begin elsewhere....
(SRP) to recycle nuclear-powered ships at PSNS. Approximately 25% of the shipyard's workload involves inactivation, reactor compartment disposal, and recycling of ships. It has pioneered an environmentally safe method of deactivating and recycling nuclear-powered ships. This process places the U.S. Navy in the role of being the world's only organization to design, build, operate, and recycle nuclear-powered ships. On May 15, 2003 PSNS and IMF were consolidated into what is now known as PSNS & IMF.
Mothball Fleet
The shipyard also contains a portion of the United States Navy reserve fleetUnited States Navy reserve fleets
The United States Navy maintains a number of its ships as part of a reserve fleet, often called the "Mothball Fleet". While the details of the activity have changed several times, the basics are constant: keep the ships afloat and sufficiently working as to be reactivated quickly in an...
, a large collection of inactive U.S. Navy vessels, including several aircraft carriers. The ships are mothballed
Reserve fleet
A reserve fleet is a collection of naval vessels of all types that are fully equipped for service but are not currently needed, and thus partially or fully decommissioned. A reserve fleet is informally said to be "in mothballs" or "mothballed"; an equivalent expression in unofficial modern U.S....
, meaning that they are stored in case they are needed by the Navy in the future.