Norfolk Naval Shipyard marks first Virginia-class Block III drydocking availability

Norfolk Naval Shipyard undocked USS John Warner, shown here, during the submarine's maintenance availability. (Newport News Shipbuilding)

Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) undocked Virginia-class attack submarine USS John Warner (SSN 785) recently, marking the completion of its first Virginia-class Block III docking work for a submarine Extended Drydocking Selected Restricted Availability (EDSRA), the US Navy (USN) confirmed on 2 April.

The drydocking was the first Block III Virginia-class SSN at any of the navy's four public shipyards. Warner was undocked in March in the Virginia-based shipyard, the USN said.

During an EDSRA, a submarine is drydocked to undergo hull, propulsion system, and modernisation upgrades, allowing the submarine to remain fully operational for its planned service life. Virginia-class submarines are critical vessels in maintaining national security given their operational versatility and nuclear-powered fast attack capability.

More than 95% of the production work is now complete, the USN said, adding that remaining availability work will focus on testing and crew readiness to support critical operations and sea trials.

Major submarine maintenance like the EDSRA has proved at times problematic for the USN. “Depot maintenance is running too long – our shipyards are well above capacity,” Vice Admiral Robert Gaucher, USN Submarines Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager (DPRM), said on 11 February during a panel discussion at the West 2026 Conference in San Diego, California, when he was still commander of USN Submarine Forces.

“That's my in-service problem,” Vice Adm Gaucher said. “We're way behind. We've got to get faster.”

Attack SSN maintenance issues – and related ‘idle' submarine time – create hurdles for USN submarine operations, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released on 4 March,