USS New Orleans drydocks at ASRY

USS New Orleans (LPD 18) entered dry dock in Bahrain on Saturday to continue repair work on the ship's hull.

The amphibious transport dock was damaged in a collision with USS Hartford (SSN 768) March 20, 2009

The Navy signed a firm fixed price contract with ASRY, Manama, Bahrain to repair New Orleans.

The repair contract includes planning efforts, material procurement, pre-fabrication and dry dock repair work and is expected to be completed in 10 to 14 days.

Two commercial vessels are in the ASRY graving dock at the same time as New Orleans. They are MV Virginian, a U.S. flagged munitions ship often contracted by the Military Sealift Command and the Ensco International jack-up rig Ensco-97.

While New Orleans will be repaired in Bahrain, U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command engineers determined that Hartford will be repaired in the United States. The submarine recently completed sea trials and is underway, making a surface transit back to her homeport of Groton, Conn.