SERMC Fields Advanced Tank Inspection Technology to Enhance Fleet Readiness
Photo By Scott Curtis |
ISIS360 photo from a low complexity tank from one of two manhole covers. The photos......read moreread more
Photo By Scott Curtis | ISIS360 photo from a low complexity tank from one of two manhole covers. The photos look distorted because they are converted from 3-dimensions (3D) to 2D. see less
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SERMC Fields Advanced Tank Inspection Technology to Enhance Fleet Readiness
Southeast Regional Maintenance Center (SERMC) has officially fielded the next generation of the Insertable Stalk Inspection System (ISIS360), a technology designed to revolutionize the safety, speed, and accuracy of shipboard tank inspections across the U.S. Navy’s Surface Fleet.
The system demonstrated its operational usefulness at SERMC during initial inspections conducted aboard USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) in April 2025. During the evolution, maintenance teams utilized ISIS360 to evaluate tanks without the need for traditional gas-free certification or manual entry.
“We captured pictures in 31 tanks. Those pictures produced results that allow us to evaluate periodicities for future inspections, and alleviate concerns for upcoming manned inspections,” said Shane Stevens, SERMC Code 200 Project Support Engineer.
According to Stephens, “This is SERMC’s first time using ISIS360 for tank inspections. We previously used the original ISIS system about 10 years ago, but this system is much more user friendly and a lot easier to get around the ship. MARMC provided a team to allow three cameras onboard to speed up inspection times for the short window of opportunity.”
Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC) maintained lead on this effort, and SERMC used this as an opportunity to team with MARMC to familiarize themselves with the process and new equipment. SERMC has been collaborating with MARMC and Southwest Regional Maintenance Center (SWRMC) who have more experience with ISIS360, capturing lessons learned, to ensure a smooth adoption locally prior to implementation.
The technology is reducing traditional inspection timelines from weeks to hours. By enabling the pre-assessment of tank conditions, maintenance teams can ensure that only tanks requiring actual repair are opened during restricted availability periods.
Compared to legacy manual inspections, the ISIS360 system offers a stark improvement in safety, speed, and efficiency. Previously, Sailors and maintenance personnel had to perform dangerous confined-space entries into tanks. This old method required days or weeks of preparation, forcing teams to empty the tanks, clean them, and certify them as gas-free. It also added logistical burdens, such as building scaffolding and installing temporary lighting inside the tanks.
“That kind of time savings translates directly to increased maintenance efficiency and reduced ship downtime,” said Capt. Kiah Rahming, commanding officer of SERMC. “The time savings come with improved preparation because advanced knowledge of tank condition allows better maintenance planning, limiting unnecessary maintenance and preventing surprises that turn into schedule delays.”
ISIS360 technology keeps personnel out of harm's way by using a small, portable, battery-operated system that requires no human entry into the tanks. Furthermore, while the old method relied on subjective visual assessments by inspectors, the new system can operate safely even when tanks are full of fuel.
ISIS360 analyzes high-resolution 360-degree imagery to identify and map corroded areas across a tank’s internal structure. This allows inspectors to quantify degradation by estimating the percentage of affected surface area, supporting long-term predictive maintenance and corrosion trend analysis.
“I believe the results of these inspections will help adjust scope prior to going into the upcoming Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) availability for Iwo Jima,” Stephens said. “It still requires a lot of situational awareness for adjacent work, especially if hotwork is required on a tank boundary or adjacent space sharing common bulkheads, but the ISIS360 makes the entire process much easier and less time consuming.”
The system’s compact design and ability to operate without external AC power is an improvement over earlier versions, making ISIS360 easier to deploy in operational environments.
