Editor’s note: This story has been updated with a comment from HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding.
Lawmakers demanded answers from the U.S. Navy on Friday over news reports that faulty welds may have been knowingly made to American submarines and aircraft carriers under construction at Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia.
The revelations were first reported by U.S. Naval Institute News.
Few details about the matter were made public Friday, including the potential risks to sailors serving aboard the impacted ships, or whether those ships would become unavailable for operations due to the bad welds.
In a statement late Friday, HII, the company that owns the shipyard, said it had discovered “through internal reporting that some welders knowingly circumvented certain welding procedures.”
“Based on our initial investigation, there is no indication of malicious intent,” the company said. “Upon discovery, we took action to communicate with our customers and regulators, investigate, determine root causes, bound the issue, and put in place immediate corrective actions as we work through longer-term solutions.”
The company’s statement did not include further information on the corrective actions or longer-term solutions taken.
Earlier Friday, in a joint statement, the Republican and Democrat heads of the House Armed Services Committee called reports of the faulty welds “deeply concerning.”
“The Department of Defense needs to immediately provide our committee with answers and a plan for how they will protect U.S. Navy vessels against tampering,” the statement by committee chairman Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and ranking member Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., states. “Absolute transparency with Congress is essential.”
The ranking member of the committee’s Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee said in a statement that members were “already in close contact with Navy leadership to ascertain the scope and severity of the weld quality issue.”
“Anytime there is a weld defect on Navy ships and submarines, the safety of the crews that serve aboard are put at risk, and the availability of these platforms are impeded,” subcommittee ranking member Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., said. “It is imperative that Navy leadership disclose its investigation in a timely manner in the coming weeks.”
The Navy said Friday that it was “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,” the sea service said. “We are working closely with industry partners to address this situation and will provide additional information when available.”
The Newport News yard is one of two in the United States focused on the nuclear fleet.
The yard constructs parts of several submarine classes, as well as Ford-class aircraft carriers.
HII did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Military Times, but USNI News reported that the company had reported the matter to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Geoff is the managing editor of Military Times, but he still loves writing stories. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com.
