A shipbuilder’s report earlier discovered “faulty welding” on several US submarines and aircraft carriers
US lawmakers have ordered an investigation into reports of substandard welding, which they believe may have been intentionally done, on submarines and aircraft carriers, both under construction and already in service with the US Navy. In a statement released on Friday, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) directed the Pentagon to investigate the matter and develop a plan to protect Navy vessels from further “tampering.”
The HASC’s action follows a report last week by Newport News Shipbuilding, which revealed the discovery of faulty welds on components of several Navy vessels currently in service. The company is one of two nuclear shipyards in the US that build Ford-class aircraft carriers, sections of Virginia-class attack submarines, and Columbia-class nuclear ballistic missile submarines.
According to USNI news, the shipyard also reported that the flaws “may have been made intentionally,” and submitted its findings to the Navy, the Department of Justice, and Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), the company that owns it and is the country’s largest military shipbuilder.
This issue has subsequently drawn the attention of Congress, with the HASC expressing concern because it involves vessels “critical” to national security.
“It is deeply concerning to learn that faulty welds may have been knowingly made to US Navy submarines and aircraft carriers… We must ensure that these vessels are protected against any bad actors seeking to put US national security or our service members at risk,” the committee stated.
HII, which is currently examining Newport News’ findings, later said it discovered that “some welders knowingly circumvented certain welding procedures,” but claimed that they found “no indication of malicious intent.”
The Navy acknowledged that it was aware of the problem in a statement on Thursday, saying it was conducting “a thorough evaluation to determine the scope” of the ships affected. A Pentagon source later told USNI News that the number of in-service Virginia-class subs that have faulty welding is in the “low single digits,” but it may take some time to determine how many other vessels, both in-service and under construction, have the problem.
It remains unclear when the initial faulty work was discovered, or what penalties await the welders and the shipyard following the probe.
Newport News Shipbuilding has already faced investigations over welding procedures twice, in 2007 and 2009. One of the probes triggered an inspection that lasted nearly a decade, according to media reports.