Congress mandates investigation into ‘intentional’ construction defects in Navy ships
US lawmakers have initiated an investigation into ‘faulty welding’ on multiple Navy submarines and aircraft carriers. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
A report from a shipbuilder previously revealed cases of “faulty welding” on multiple U.S. submarines and aircraft carriers.
Lawmakers in the U.S. have initiated an investigation into allegations of substandard welding “knowingly made” on submarines and aircraft carriers currently under construction or in service with the U.S. Navy. The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) issued a statement on Friday, directing the Pentagon to examine the situation and devise a plan for “how to protect” Navy vessels from further “tampering.”
This action from the HASC follows a report from Newport News Shipbuilding, which indicated that it had found faulty welds on parts of several active Navy vessels. Newport News Shipbuilding is one of the two U.S. nuclear shipyards that build Ford-class aircraft carriers, components of Virginia-class attack submarines, and Columbia-class nuclear ballistic missile submarines.
USNI News reports that the shipyard discovered the welding defects and noted that the flaws “may have been made intentionally.” The firm submitted its findings to the Navy, the Department of Justice, and Huntington Ingalls Industries, the parent company and the largest military shipbuilder in the U.S.
The matter has since drawn Congressional attention, with the HASC expressing alarm because it concerns 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.
Huntington Ingalls Industries, which is currently evaluating the findings from Newport News, later reported that it had determined “some welders knowingly circumvented certain welding procedures,” although it asserted that there was “no indication of malicious intent.”
In a statement on Thursday, the Navy acknowledged its awareness of the issue, noting that it is conducting “a thorough evaluation to determine the scope” of the affected vessels. A Pentagon source later informed USNI News that the count of in-service Virginia-class submarines with faulty welding is in the “low single digits,” but it may take time to assess how many other vessels, both operational and under construction, are impacted.
It remains unclear when the initial defective work was uncovered or what potential repercussions may follow for the welders and the shipyard after the investigation concludes.
Newport News Shipbuilding has previously been subject to investigations over welding practices in 2007 and 2009. One of these inquiries resulted in an inspection that reportedly lasted nearly a decade, according to various media reports.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
Lawmakers in the U.S. have initiated an investigation into allegations of substandard welding “knowingly made” on submarines and aircraft carriers currently under construction or in service with the U.S. Navy. The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) issued a statement on Friday, directing the Pentagon to examine the situation and devise a plan for “how to protect” Navy vessels from further “tampering.”
This action from the HASC follows a report from Newport News Shipbuilding, which indicated that it had found faulty welds on parts of several active Navy vessels. Newport News Shipbuilding is one of the two U.S. nuclear shipyards that build Ford-class aircraft carriers, components of Virginia-class attack submarines, and Columbia-class nuclear ballistic missile submarines.
USNI News reports that the shipyard discovered the welding defects and noted that the flaws “may have been made intentionally.” The firm submitted its findings to the Navy, the Department of Justice, and Huntington Ingalls Industries, the parent company and the largest military shipbuilder in the U.S.
The matter has since drawn Congressional attention, with the HASC expressing alarm because it concerns 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.
Huntington Ingalls Industries, which is currently evaluating the findings from Newport News, later reported that it had determined “some welders knowingly circumvented certain welding procedures,” although it asserted that there was “no indication of malicious intent.”
In a statement on Thursday, the Navy acknowledged its awareness of the issue, noting that it is conducting “a thorough evaluation to determine the scope” of the affected vessels. A Pentagon source later informed USNI News that the count of in-service Virginia-class submarines with faulty welding is in the “low single digits,” but it may take time to assess how many other vessels, both operational and under construction, are impacted.
It remains unclear when the initial defective work was uncovered or what potential repercussions may follow for the welders and the shipyard after the investigation concludes.
Newport News Shipbuilding has previously been subject to investigations over welding practices in 2007 and 2009. One of these inquiries resulted in an inspection that reportedly lasted nearly a decade, according to various media reports.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
