BAE Systems Breaks Ground on Ship Repair Facility in Jacksonville
This morning, BAE Systems broke ground on a modern shiplift and land-level repair complex at the company’s Jacksonville shipyard, investing $200 million into the facility. The complex is intended to expand the industrial base capacities essential for national defense, as well as the U.S. and international maritime industry.
The new complex will expand the BAE Systems shipyard’s drydocking capacity by 300 percent once complete in early 2025 and will feature a new state-of-the-art shiplift system built by Pearlson Shiplift Corporation. The lift’s 492-foot by 110-foot articulated platform can easily accommodate a U.S. Navy amphibious transport dock ship or a commercial Panamax vessel more than 25,000 tons, making it the largest in North and South America once commissioned.
Located two miles up the St. Johns River from the Atlantic Ocean and in the heart of a major Navy Fleet Concentration Area, the maintenance, repair and operations at BAE Systems will be able to accommodate more vessels calling on Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) and Naval Station Mayport.
Earlier this year, BAE Jacksonville Ship Repair General Manager, Tim Spratto, said of the project, “We anticipate a sustainable workload from the Navy, Coast Guard and other government customers’ vessels in the port. Growth in workload is expected from the commercial shop repair market with the introduction of this new ship repair capacity in Jacksonville.