Shipbuilders recently completed a major evolution on USS Columbus (SSN 762) when they lifted and installed the upper rudder. The Los Angeles-class submarine is currently undergoing overhaul work at Newport News Shipbuilding.

“The rudder load was the first major critical path evolution for Columbus. We had to overcome many challenges in order to get to the point of actually loading the upper rudder,” said Construction Supervisor Kyle Davis (O64). “It was a good chance to showcase the skills and abilities of our mechanics on the deckplate.”

One challenge the team faced was a dockside crane that was unexpectedly out of service for the entire evolution. That meant the team – which included X43 and X36 shipbuilders – had to bring in multiple mobile cranes to complete the work. Despite difficulties, shipbuilders were able to finish the job ahead of schedule.

“The team did an excellent job preparing and working together to load the upper rudder,” said X43 Foreman Jacob Jallo. “The successful job performance was a testament to the effective communication and hard work commitment shown by the team to safely load the upper rudder.”

Watch a time-lapse video of the rudder lift and installation on MyNNS.