Reactivated Norfolk Navy Yard Replaces Destroyer Stout's Rescue-Boat Davit
SIMA Norfolk, dormant until June 2026, finished the slewing arm davit swap July 8, clearing Stout for missions with the Truman Strike Group.
- Machinist Mate 2nd Class William Mims called the install valuable "training repetitions" for the crew.
- The davit lets sailors launch and recover rigid-hull inflatable boats for open-water search and rescue.
- Capt. Megan Thomas, SIMA Norfolk's commanding officer, calls in-house fixes proof of "the fleet's self-sufficiency."
Why it matters: One davit swapped by a yard reestablished weeks earlier is called proof of self-sufficiency, not its first test.
DVIDS / Naval Station Norfolk SIMA Norfolk public affairs release ↗ · Jul 17, 20267/17/26 · ✓ Checked✓ Check