Transshelf

The collision-damaged USS "Fitzgerald" has finally left Yokosuka for repairs stateside after an earlier attempt was canceled due to a botched loading process. The guided-missile destroyer departed its base on Dec 9 in the morning on board the heavy lift vessel "Transshelf" to be taken to the Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss., for repairs and upgrades. The crippled warship already attempted to leave Yokosuka on Nov. 23, but was sent back days later to repair two new punctures in the ship's hull, caused by the "Transshelf"'s steel support structure during loading. Huntington Ingalls Industries was chosen to repair the destroyer because the company would be able to restore the ship in the shortest amount of time. Given the complexity of the work and the significant unknowns of the restoration, the Navy determined that only an Arleigh Burke-class shipbuilder could perform the effort. The project's start date, scope, cost and timeline were still to be determined. Report with photo and video: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/12/09/fitzgerald-finally-departs-japan-repairs-mississippi.html

The U.S. Navy experienced yet another setback on Nov 26, 2017, when the crippled destroyer USS "Fitzgerald" was damaged as it was being loaded onto the "Transshelf" to be taken to Mississippi for repairs. The guided-missile destroyer was towed out to deep water to begin the heavy lift process on Nov 24. But the "Fitzgerald" sustained two punctures to her hull from the "Transshelf"'s steel support structure during load at anchorage, and was forced to return to its home port in Yokosuka. Repairs were expected to extend the on-load process by a few days, after which the "Transshelf" will transport Fitzgerald to Huntington Ingalls Industries in Pascagoula, Mississippi, for further repairs and upgrades Prior to the incident, the USS "Fitzgerald" had already seen minor improvements, including de-watering, de-fueling, hull and superstructure repairs and having key systems placed in lay-up maintenance. Report with photo and video: http://www.newsweek.com/crippled-us-warship-more-damage-heads-repairs-722959 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AalbxJtlLBE

Boskalis Westminster announced on Sep 6, 2017, that it was contracted to transport the heavily damaged destroyer USS "Fitzgerald" back to the United States. On June 17, it had been in collision with the container ship "ACX Crystal" in the Bay of Tokyo. The warship will be transported to Pascagoula aboard the "Transshelf" of the Boskalis subsidiary Dockwise which will take aboard the destroyer in Yokosuka. The transport will coust $ 50 million.