Construction begins on US Navy nuclear regional maintenance facility at Kings Bay submarine base

The US Navy's Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Southeast recently held a groundbreaking ceremony marking the start of the construction of a new facility for the Nuclear Regional Maintenance Department (NRMD) at Naval Submarine Base (NSB) Kings Bay, Georgia.

The facility will serve as a centralised, state-of-the-art hub for NRMD, enabling critical maintenance and repair operations for the navy's Trident missile-equipped nuclear-powered submarines.

The NRMD supports the operational readiness of the US Atlantic Fleet’s ballistic missile submarine force. It provides intermediate-level repair and maintenance of propulsion plant systems and components, ensuring submarines remain mission-ready for both rapid 28-day overhauls and extended 270-day major maintenance periods.

Currently, NRMD operations are dispersed across NSB Kings Bay in temporary trailers, CONEX boxes, and facilities shared with the TRIDENT Refit Facility at Kings Bay (TRF-KB). This project will consolidate these functions into a single, purpose-built structure, enhancing communication and collaboration between engineers and mechanics on the waterfront.

The new low-rise facility will feature a reinforced concrete slab-on-grade with a steel and precast concrete superstructure supported by a pile foundation. The building will include nuclear repair shops, ship services support areas, applied instruction spaces, and a parking facility accommodating up to 300 employees.

The contract for this US$136 million project was awarded to BL Harbert International on December 13, 2023. The company will oversee the design and construction of the facility, which is scheduled for completion by December 15, 2028.