The battleship Missouri, which has been dramatically moored opposite the sunken USS Arizona for nearly 10 years, will be a spectacular sight of a different sort more than a year from now when it is expected to enter drydock at Pearl Harbor for repairs.

Officials are being methodical in planning for the biggest capital improvement project since the Missouri pulled into Pearl Harbor in 1998 as a planned museum and memorial.

The Missouri is not in any danger of sinking, and officials want to maximize the work that can be done while the 887-foot battleship is in drydock for two to three months.

As a result, the "Mighty Mo" won't be going into drydock for at least a year as planning continues and the memorial's operators wait for an availability in the Pearl Harbor yard.

The ship that was the site of Japan's surrender in World War II needs a hull sandblasting to remove underwater hull paint that has deteriorated and caused corrosion, a marine survey concluded.

Sandblasting and repainting also are needed for elements of the mast and superstructure.

"We are finalizing a comprehensive plan for drydocking the Missouri, taking into account both the long-term needs of the ship and the best interests of staff, volunteers, partners and visitors," said retired Vice Adm. Robert K.U. Kihune, chairman of the USS Missouri Memorial Association.

"We anticipate that the Missouri will be in drydock for no more than 60 to 90 days, and are working with the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard to establish an exact timeframe," Kihune added. "Until then, the Battleship Missouri Memorial is welcoming visitors and continuing business as usual."

SAVINGS AT SHIPYARD

Officials previously estimated that drydocking and lower-hull repainting could run $5 million to $8 million, and superstructure rust control and painting could cost $1 million.

Below the water line, the battleship's hull thickness ranges from 7 or 8 inches to about 1.5 inches, officials said.

The replacement of 53,000 square feet of rotting teak deck, an additional renovation that's needed, was estimated to cost anywhere from $5 million to $15 million.

A Hawai'i state Senate bill introduced in January seeking an undetermined appropriation for Missouri memorial repairs said having the work done in the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard would save "significant costs" compared to towing the battleship elsewhere.

"Furthermore, doing the work at Pearl Harbor will highlight the capabilities of Pearl Harbor and the greater Hawai'i community to care for a national icon and internationally recognized symbol of peace," the bill states.

ANNIVERSARY EVENTS

The last drydocking was in 1992, when the battleship was decommissioned, and the underwater hull coating was checked at the time.

The museum's board last year hired Massachusetts-based Ocean Technical Services for a marine survey.

In addition to being the site of Japan's surrender in Tokyo Bay in 1945, the Missouri was the last battleship ever built, was called into action in the Korean War and was sent on a last combat tour to the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

On June 21, exactly 10 years after the USS Missouri passed Diamond Head Crater on its way to Hawai'i, the battleship will hold "A Mighty Mahalo" day.

The museum and memorial said the day will include complimentary admission for kama'aina and anyone with a government-issued military ID as a way of saying thank you to the local and military community for their support and patronage over the last decade.

Anniversary events will continue throughout the year and culminate on Jan. 29, 2009, the 10th anniversary of the Missouri memorial's grand opening.