Reports that welds on Navy submarines and aircraft carriers being built at Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia may have been purposely faulty have prompted a congressional investigation.
In a joint statement Friday, leaders on the House Armed Services Committee from both parties demanded "absolute transparency" from the Navy on the issue.
"It is deeply concerning to learn that faulty welds may have been knowingly made to U.S. Navy submarines and aircraft carriers," said the statement from committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala.; Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., ranking member of the committee; seapower subcommittee Chairman Trent Kelly, R-Miss.; and Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., ranking member of the seapower subcommittee.
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"The House Armed Services Committee is investigating how this occurred," the statement continued. "The safety of our sailors is our top concern, and we need to immediately understand any risks associated with the faulty work. 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."
A Navy spokesperson confirmed the welding issue Friday, but offered few additional details, including what safety risks sailors on the ships face, whether the ships are inoperable or need significant repairs, and exactly how the problem might have occurred.
"The Navy is aware of the issue and a thorough evaluation is underway to determine the scope," the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "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."
The issue was first reported by USNI News. Citing an internal memo from the Navy's acquisition chief to service leadership, the news outlet reported that early indications suggest some of the welding errors were intentional and that the shipyard has referred the case to the Justice Department.
Todd Corillo, a spokesperson for Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News Shipbuilding division, acknowledged Friday that some welders "knowingly circumvented certain welding procedures" but stressed that an initial investigation uncovered "no indication of malicious intent."
"We do not tolerate any conduct that compromises our company's values and our mission of delivering ships that safeguard our nation and its sailors," Corillo said in an emailed statement. "Upon this 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."
Newport News is one of two nuclear shipyards in the country. It is responsible for building Ford-class aircraft carriers, as well as parts of several different submarine classes.
In their statement, the House Armed Services Committee leaders noted the importance of the work being done at Newport News.
"These vessels are critical to U.S. defense in the Indo-Pacific," they said. "We must ensure that these vessels are protected against any bad actors seeking to put U.S. national security or our service members at risk."
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