Newport News Shipbuilding has alerted the Department of Justice about potentially faulty welds on non-critical components of in-service submarines and aircraft carriers, as reported by USNI News on Thursday.
These defective welds were identified through internal quality assurance processes, with initial findings suggesting that some may have been deliberate, according to a statement given to USNI News.
“Upon internal reporting, we found that certain welds fell below our high standards. Upon discovery, immediate steps were taken to inform customers and regulators, conduct investigations, identify root causes, contain the issues, and implement corrective actions to prevent any future occurrences,” the statement explains.
The statement further emphasizes, “Newport News Shipbuilding is dedicated to constructing top-notch aircraft carriers and submarines for the U.S. Navy. We uphold our values and mission of delivering ships that protect our nation and its sailors, and we do not tolerate any behavior that undermines these commitments.”
Aerial view of HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division, taken in October 2018. Newport News is one of two U.S. shipyards capable of designing and building nuclear-powered submarines, and is the design agent and hull planning yard for the Los Angeles-class and Seawolf-class attack submarines. (Photo by Ashley Cowan/HII)
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The Navy is currently investigating the claims to determine the extent of the impact from the faulty work.
The nation’s newest and most advanced nuclear-powered attack submarine PCU Virginia (SSN 774) travels along the morning sunrise skyline on its way from Norfolk Naval Shipyard to complete Bravo sea trials. Virginia is the Navy’s only major combatant ready to join the fleet that was designed with the post-Cold War security environment in mind and embodies the war fighting and operational capabilities required to dominate the littorals while maintaining undersea dominance in the open ocean.( U.S. Navy photo by Journalist 2nd Class Christina M. Shaw )
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“The Navy is aware of the issue and a thorough evaluation is underway to determine the scope. The safety of our Sailors and our ships is of paramount importance. We are working closely with industry partners to address this situation and will provide additional information when available,” according to the statement.
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Newport News Shipbuilding, part of Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), is one of two nuclear shipyards in the U.S. and is currently involved in the construction of the Ford-class aircraft carrier and components of the Virginia-class attack submarine.
