In this podcast episode of Ship Repair Radio, VSRA President John sits down with Rear Admiral Kayvon Hakimzadeh (commonly known as "Admiral Hak"), Commander of the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Bringing his perspective as a former Naval aviator, Admiral Hak discusses his observations after his first year in command, highlighting both the exceptional responsiveness of government flyaway teams and the systemic frictions that often slow down industrial operations.
Key Topics Discussed:
- Retaining Top Talent: The critical need to restructure pay scales so master mechanics and machinists can advance financially while staying on their tools, rather than being forced into supervisory roles.
- Shifting the MRO Model: Moving away from long-cycle shipbuilding behaviors toward shorter, more intense maintenance availabilities to conserve valuable drydock and pier space.
- Streamlining Bureaucracy: Pushing technical and contracting authority down to lower levels to rapidly address unplanned work and speed up the supply chain.
- Partnering with Private Industry: Leveraging the recently awarded Submarine MAC and existing IDIQ contracts to standardize outsourced resource days, bringing much-needed stability and predictability to private shipyard partners.
Tune in to hear how Norfolk Naval Shipyard is hiring, growing, and working alongside the private sector to meet the Navy's historic demand for operational ships.