Skip to Content

Press Releases

Funding secured to fully repair U.S.S. Miami

Top Navy officials confirm that repairs will be made at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery

Miami fire Pingree 2

Miami fire Pingree 2
Congresswoman Pingree meeting with Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Commander Bryan Fuller and firefighters after the fire on the U.S.S. Miami last in May 2012.

Top Navy officials confirm that repairs will be made at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said she heard late this afternoon from top Navy officials that funding to fully repair the submarine U.S.S. Miami has been secured and the repairs will take place at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery.

"There is an enormous amount of work to be done to fix the Miami so it can safely go back to sea, but I have no doubt that if anyone can do it, it's the men and women at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard," Pingree said. "Because of budget uncertainty around the sequester it wasn't entirely clear exactly where the funding to repair the sub was going to come from, but the Congressional delegations of both Maine and New Hampshire put a lot of pressure on the Navy to come up with the funding and they did."

The sub suffered over $400 million in damages in a fire that was intentionally set why it was in dry dock in Kittery last year.

"I know the Navy wants to get the Miami back into service just as much as the men and women at the yard want to do those repairs, so this is the best possible outcome," Pingree said.

Navy officials told Pingree they had hoped to have the Miami fully operational by the spring of 2015 but that date may have to be pushed back because of recent uncertainty around federal funding.

Back to top