The American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE) Fleet Maintenance & Modernization Symposium (FMMS) is biennial event, alternating between Hampton Roads and San Diego. Due to the health risks of COVID-19, this event was held virtually from September 14-17, 2020 and included numerous guest speakers, panelists, and presentations from the Navy, Coast Guard, the ship construction and repair industry, and academia. The event provided an excellent opportunity for attendees to network with government and industry representatives from across the country.
The theme of this year’s FMMS was “From Sailor to Shipyard - Improving Fleet Readiness.” The Symposium was kicked-off on September 14th with giving early access to all technical paper presentations, as well as to Virtual Exhibit Halls which provided networking opportunities. Guest speakers included Chief of Naval Research, RADM Lorin C. Selby, former Chief of Navy Chaplains, who delivered the keynote address for the opening day.
In addition to addressing significant elements of Navy maintenance and modernization strategy, other topics of discussion included:
- what new technology can do and how best to integrate into a ship's systems
- working with other disciplines and stakeholders to ensure that engineering considerations are built into all phases and lifecycle process
- effective repair strategies based on collective data and deck plate experience to help eliminate the cost and time of rework
- understanding what ship designs and systems can be modernized with durable and proven technology
- training others and share historical knowledge that can be collected for the next generation
- leveraging artnerships between small and large businesses to facilitate technology transition to the fleet
On the last day of the Symposium, Admiral Christopher W. Grady, commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command (USFFC), delivered the final keynote, focusing on fleet readiness, the importance of the ship repair industrial base, modernizing technical training, and the Navy's Optimized Fleet Response Plan (OFRP). He then led a Q&A discussion, answering questions from both Navy officials and industry representatives. These questions included topics varying from the Navy's response to China's growing Navy to shore launched and ship launched hypersonics.
All in all, ASNE proved it could smoothly transition from a face-to-face Symposium to a virtual one, as the 2020 FMMS was a success. It certainly fulfilled ASNE’s expressed goal for the event to provide:
“a unique opportunity to interact with senior military and civil service decision makers, ship and craft operators and maintainers, repair and maintenance personnel, designers, builders, planners, engineers, program managers, life cycle engineers, equipment suppliers and other technical experts.”
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