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34 MN January 2011 “there were roughly 1,500 ships, 95% of which were 250- ft and 2,500 long tons or less. So our infrastructure foot- print is built around that class of vessel.” The plan also calls for large enclosed repair facilities capable of bringing 250-ft ships onto land. “That helps mitigate the risk to schedule and cost and increases quality, on the repair side of the market, by going indoors,” Ward said. “Right now we’re breaking ground on the very large ship hall, a land-level enclosed berth. We will be putting out contracts for construction of the ship hall and construc- tion will begin 2011. We would like it to be ready for serv- ice in spring 2012.” “In the 99 Plan we also introduced the ability of the yard to do new ship construction. Repair alone goes through cycles, can be fiercely competitive and has seasonal peaks to it. New construction is a year round activity and pro- vides a base level of employment.” The yard’s first new build was in 2000, a small ferry that runs between Ketchikan and the airport. The Turning Point: MV Susitna Comes to Ketchikan All the studies and planning that went into Alaska Ship & Drydock paid off with the arrival of the MV Susitna contract. Around 2004, Ward said, “the Office of Naval Research [ONR] came along with the MV Susitna, or Expeditionary Craft [E-Craft].” Admiral Jay Cohen was commanding the ONR at the time. “Part of the motivations of Adm. Cohen was to
