NAVFAC’s newly established command, OICC PSNS to provide focused leadership and expertise in Navy's largest dry dock project

From Amanda Surmeier, NAVAC

Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) officially established its newest command, Officer in Charge of Construction Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (OICC PSNS), during a ceremony held Aug. 28 at the Naval Undersea Warfare Museum in Keyport, Washington.

Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) officially established its newest command, Officer in Charge of Construction Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (OICC PSNS), during a ceremony held Aug. 28 at the Naval Undersea Warfare Museum in Keyport, Washington.

The dedicated command will oversee the contracting, engineering and construction of the Navy's largest infrastructure project to date as part of the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP).
 Capt. Troy Brown assumed command of OICC PSNS as its first commanding officer. He will lead a specialized, dedicated team providing on-site construction oversight, engineering, and contracting authority over a once-in-a-generation, multi-decade recapitalization of Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF), centered around the proposed historic construction of the Multi-Mission Dry Dock.

“Today, we are not just standing up a new command – we are building upon the legacy started by Lt. Ambrose B. Wycoff and the people of Bremerton in 1891 when this station originated and the courageous contractors who began constructing Dry Dock 1 in 1892,” Brown said. “Together, we are embarking on a new journey to modernize the shipyard and deliver the Multi-Mission Dry Dock – the Navy’s largest single shore infrastructure investment and most significant project in the modern history of the Pacific Northwest. Together, we will build our future.”

The planned multi-phase Multi-Mission Dry Dock mega-project will construct a state-of-the-art, fully pressure-relieved dry dock facility capable of accommodating shipyard repair services for the Navy's newest Gerald R. Ford-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, current Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, and other surface and subsurface warships in the Pacific Northwest. The project also includes demolishing, replacing, and constructing other piers, wharves, moorings, cranes, buildings, and support facilities both on Naval Base Kitsap (NBK)-Bremerton and NBK-Bangor. 

Currently undergoing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, the project is awaiting a Record of Decision in late 2026, with construction expected to begin in spring 2028. The Navy established SIOP to increase throughput at the four public shipyards by updating their physical layout, upgrading and modernizing their dry docks, and replacing antiquated capital equipment with modern tools and technologies.

SIOP is a holistic investment plan that, when fully executed, will deliver required dry dock repairs and upgrades to support current and planned future classes of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines, optimize workflow within the shipyards through significant changes to their physical layout, and recapitalize industrial plant equipment with modern technology that will substantially increase productivity and safety.

“OICC PSNS is charged with modernizing shipyard infrastructure needed to maintain the next generation of ships and submarines, and rebuilding the vital foundation from the ground up,” said Rear Adm. Omarr Tobias, NAVFAC Pacific commander, who served as the presiding officer. “What we build here over the next decade is not just concrete and steel – it represents the foundation of warfighting capability, and we are ultimately giving our Sailors an asymmetric edge, ready platforms, and the strategic advantage they need to deter any adversary, anywhere, at any time. By delivering the Multi-Mission Dry Dock, we are forging a world-class ‘Foundry’ that will sustain, modernize, and ready our global Fleet for the next century.”

The current dry dock capacity and configurations at PSNS & IMF limit the shipyard's ability to support the future nuclear-powered fleet. While existing facilities have served the Navy for decades, they cannot accommodate the larger Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers. The new Multi-Mission Dry Dock has been designed with the advanced dimensions, drainage and flooding systems, caisson gates, and utility routing tunnels required to perform depot-level maintenance for the Fleet of tomorrow.

“Our mission is clear, our focus absolute: we will deliver the foundation of Fleet readiness at PSNS & IMF,” Brown said. “The task before us is monumental, but our resolve is unbreakable. We will build with urgency, lead with integrity, and deliver with precision.”

For questions or concerns regarding this contract, contact the NAVFAC Northwest Public Affairs Office at mailto:navfacnwpao@us.navy.mil.