Shipbuilders recently completed the first of 10 new superlifts for Enterprise (CVN 80). The 825-metric ton unit – roughly the weight of 56 Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets – included weapons magazines and lower stage weapons elevators.

In the past, this superlift would have been broken up into 17 separate lifts into the dry dock, according to Payton Pasipanki, a process improvement analyst who is working on loan to the CVN 80 program in the capacity of a construction supervisor.

“Going from 17 lifts to doing it in one is a big feat in itself,” he said. “There were some lessons learned, but overall it went very well. The growing pains were very minimal.”

There are a number of benefits to combining these lifts into one. It helps reduce the amount of time Newport News Shipbuilding’s 1,050-metric ton gantry crane – also known as “Big Blue” – is tied up. The larger lift also allows shipbuilders to complete more outfitting before the unit was placed in the dry dock.

The next of these new superlifts for Enterprise is scheduled to take place in the fall.