ESB 4 completes drydocking at Palumbo Shipyard Malta
Written by Nick Blenkey
ROH at Palumbo Shipyard Malta was ESB4's first in the European area of operations. [Photo: NAVSEA]
The Military Sealift Command’s Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary sea base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4) completed its first Regular Overhaul (ROH) in the European area of operations at the Palumbo Shipyard Malta, July 25, 2023.
The Palumbo Shipyard is operated by Italy’s Palumbo Group in a joint venture with MSC Cruises.
NAVSEA notes that ROHs are routine, planned maintenance periods providing necessary repairs, maintenance and modernization for the ship to operate at full technical capacity and mission capability for its entire designed service life. It says that conducting significant depot-level maintenance in a forward-deployed environment requires robust partnerships with the host nation and maintenance providers and that the technical expertise and large maintenance workforce on Malta provided a central location with significant capability, including drydocking the 71,000-ton ship.
“Even though it was our first ROH in the European theater, our project team together with our industry partner deftly executed maintenance on critical areas of Hershel Woody Williams,” said Capt. Brian Karosich, commanding officer of NAVSEA’s Forward Deployed Regional Maintenance Center (FDRMC).“With the ship continually deployed, keeping areas such as its expansive flight deck and mission deck safe and fully functional is paramount to its diverse operations throughout Africa.”
Hershel “Woody” Williams is forward-deployed to Souda Bay, Greece and serves as the first U.S. Navy ship assigned to the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) area of responsibility. The ship is capable of conducting expeditionary missions, counter piracy, maritime security, and humanitarian and disaster relief operations. It operates with blue and gold crews, allowing it to remain continually deployed throughout AFRICOM.
Although a Military Sealift Command (MSC) ship, FDRMC maintains U.S. Navy structures and systems aboard Hershel “Woody” Williams. During the ROH at Palumbo Shipyard Malta, FDRMC’s project team oversaw work to replace coatings on the 52,000 square-foot flight deck and 25,000 square-foot mission deck. The team also preserved other critical areas of the ship, such as the mast and forward deckhouse.
MSC oversaw additional significant maintenance and modernization that ensured the ship met ABS standards and remained safe to operate for the hybrid crew of military personnel and MSC civil service mariners. Work completed included cleaning and preserving the ship’s hull and overhaul of critical equipment such as the diesel engine, water distilling plant and air conditioning units.
