Page 42: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (February 2022)

COVER STORY FINCANTIERI MARINE GROUP “Tiger Woods once said his golf swing was never standing still. He was either working to get it better or it was getting worse. I have that same philosophy about safety. You’re either working to make it better or over time, it will start to get worse.”

Mark Vandroff, CEO,

Fincantieri Marinette Marine

Fincantieri Marine Group tem, when panels came off of the line which will allow FMM to lower ships ing the panel line, FMM freed up a they were shuttled around the yard for into the water more gently and effective- production building which will be con- module assembly. At the end of the new ly than the traditional side launch into verted to an additional blast and paint line is a new module assembly facility. the Menominee River. “Ships have been facility. “We have excellent blast and “This way, we’re moving more com- side launched for a long time: it’s sim- paint facilities in the yard,” said Van- plete modules around the yard for out? t- ple, it’s not a lot of infrastructure. You droff. “But if we’re going to do two ting, and that’ll be a more ef? cient ? ow just need a set of incline weights and frigates a year, which is the Navy’s goal for the frigate throughout the yard,” said you let gravity take its natural course,” for us, we needed additional blast and

Vandroff. said Vandroff. “But there are some paint capacity. That conversion project drawbacks.” First, the yard can com- is scheduled for completion in 2023.

• Building 34: Wisconsin winters are plete more of the ship on land using the harsh, so keeping as much construction ship lift. “And there are some things that While much of the focus, rightfully under cover in a climate-controlled en- are on the frigate that we don’t want a so, is on FMM, two additional FMG vironment positively impacts ef? ciency. side launch, parts of the combat system shipyards in the area – Fincantieri Bay

To this end Building 34 will accom- that require very high precision align- Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, which is modate the construction and erection ment. We want to do that in the build- a commercial yard; and Fincantieri Ace of two full-size frigates simultaneously ing, and then we don’t want do it again Marine in Green Bay, which builds alu- under cover. The frigate is both longer, after we put it in the water.” With most minum boats up to 25m long, as well taller and heavier than the littoral com- of the ship lift’s civil works done, it is as aluminum modules – complete Fin- bat ships that FMM is now building, and expected to be up and operational by the cantieri’s ‘system of yards’ that provide it needed a larger facility. FMM broke end of 2022, in time to launch the ? rst ? exible manpower and facilities to help ground on the building at the begin- of four multi-mission surface combatant facilitate the building of the Frigates. ning of 2020, and “I would describe it hulls, similar to the LCS design, for the “For the frigate, Bay is going to be as dangerously near completion,” said Royal Saudi Navy. When completed, critical for us,” said Vandroff. “We’ve

Vandroff, noting that the contractor the new ship lift system will be approxi- invested signi? cantly in Bay: a new should be done with a few ? nal items, in mately 500 ft. long and 82 ft. wide, and panel line, a new blast and paint facility, time for a ribbon-cutting in March/April will be capable of handling vessels of and a new erection bay. Roughly one- 2022. nearly 10,000 tons, making it the largest fourth of the frigate will be built in Bay in the U.S. and completely erected and out? tted and • Ship Lift: The other major invest- then barged over for those super mod- ment is the installation of a Syncrolift, • Blast and Paint Facility: In mov- ules to be erected onto the ship. And that 42 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • February 2022

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