Acceptance Trial An acceptance trial is conducted to show that the ship was constructed or converted according to contract specifications.  Members  of  an  INSURV  regional  board or subboard inspect the work and witness the acceptance trial,  and  INSURV  Instructions  9080.2  and  9080.3 describe the required tests and demonstrations. The INSURV   board   may   call   for   other   tests   and demonstrations if it sees a need INSURV may authorize acceptance of the ship for restricted service, or require another trial after deficiencies have been corrected. Also,  it  may  accept  the  ship  contingent  upon  the completion  of  some  work  before  delivery.  When acceptance is conditional, the INSURV board generally delegates to the SUPSHIP or the shipyard commander the  authority  to  decide  when  the  conditions  have  been met. SUPSHIP or the shipyard commander then notifies the  accepting  authority,  if  it  is  impractical  for  the INSURV board to meet again. Just before the acceptance trial, the responsible SUPSHIP office or the planning department of the naval shipyard compiles the list of trial items for the INSURV board. These include unsatisfactory items found during construction  or  conversion,  testing,  inspections,  or earlier trials. The INSURV board may require any or all of  the  following  trials  and  tests  during  the  acceptance trial: full-power trial, quick reversal and backing trial, boiler  overload  test,  locked  shaft  test,  steering  ahead, and steering astern. During  or  immediately  following  the  trial,  INSURV (in   conference   with   representatives   of   interested SYSCOMS, the ship, and the contractor) passes on the trial items submitted. INSURV officially classifies each item according to INSURV Instruction 4730.11, and adds any items resulting from the boards observations and  inspections. When the acceptance trial has been completed, the INSURV board decides whether to accept the ship as of the scheduled end of the construction or conversion period, or at a later time. They decide on the basis of the results of the trial and the material inspection, the seriousness  of  the  work  recommended,  and  the  advice of  the  SUPSHIP  or  the  shipyard  commander  concerning the time needed to do the work. The board may find that the  deficiencies  are  serious  enough  to  require  another trial after they have been corrected. If so, they direct SUPSHIP or the shipyard commander to recommend a date for the next trial and a new delivery and acceptance date. When  INSURV  decides  that  the  deficiencies  reduce the ship’s fitness for naval service but do not justify rejection of the ship, they may recommend conditional acceptance for restricted service. The restricted service limitations  may  be  removed  when  the  deficiencies  have been corrected to the satisfaction of the TYCOM and approved by CNO. Under special circumstances, the TYCOM may request a waiver with approval by CNO. Final Contract Trial INSURV normally conducts the final contract trial and   material   inspection   about   6   months   after acceptance,  or  conditional  acceptance,  of  the  ship  and before the end of the guarantee period. The object of the trial is to determine if there are any defects that the contractor caused and has not corrected. The engineer officer must ensure that certain reports, test data, and publications are available for inspection by the INSURV board members immediately upon their arrival. See INSURV instructions for a list of these items. The ship’s CO also must submit to INSURV the work items that were unfinished at the preliminary acceptance trial, or were authorized later, and which are not yet completed. The ship’s force conducts the final contract trial under the supervision of the INSURV board. The trial normally includes a full-power trial. As soon as possible after the trial, the engineer officer or INSURV board members  make  a  thorough  examination  of  those machinery  parts  that  INSURV  selects.  When  the engineer oficer does it, he reports the results to the commanding  officer,  who  forwards  the  report  with comments and recommendations to INSURV and to NAVSEA. Any defects must be corrected as soon as possible after the final contract trial. If  INSURV  finds  the  ship  is  acceptable,  the President  of  INSURV  recommends  to  the  Secretary  of the Navy that the ship be accepted as of a certain date. For ships constructed or converted at a private shipyard the date usually coincides with the date the guarantee expires.  If  there  are  defects,  INSURV  recommends corrective action. The Navy will correct these defects and deduct their cost from the final payment to the contractor for ships built in private shipyards. When the Secretary of the Navy accepts the ship, it is assigned to operations  with  the  fleet. SPECIAL TRIALS NAVSEA requires that trials be conducted on one ship from each class of ships, either new construction or major conversion, to determine various characteristics. 9-21