Did Sabotage Stall the Navy’s Newest Nuclear Aircraft Carrier?

by John Konrad (gCaptain) Faulty welds on U.S. Navy nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers have ignited a firestorm on Capitol Hill, but this isn’t just a case of shoddy workmanship it was intentional. The question is, was it sabotage?

“Today, I have very serious news to share with you,” wrote Jennifer Boykin, President of HII’s Newport News Shipyard yesterday via LinkedIn. “We discovered that the quality of certain welds on submarines and aircraft carriers under construction here at NNS do not meet our high-quality standards. Most concerning is that some of the welds in question were made by welders who knowingly violated weld procedures.”

Details are still emerging, but HII stated that while the shipyard workers intentionally violated welding rules, they claim there was no “malicious intent.” This suggests laziness is more likely than sabotage. However, Boykin noted that HII hasn’t yet conducted a full investigation. She has also alerted the FBI, US Navy, and government regulators about potential criminal actions.

The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) is now digging into the issue and says, despite Boykin’s assurances, it can not yet “rule out bad actors seeking to put U.S. national security or our service members at risk.”

“It is deeply concerning to learn that faulty welds may have been knowingly made to U.S. Navy submarines and aircraft carriers,” reads a joint statement from HASC chair Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), ranking member Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), and key subcommittee leaders. “The safety of our sailors is our top concern, and we need to immediately understand any risks associated with the faulty work.” Translation: How on earth did this happen, and how do we stop it from happening again?

Now the Navy and shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) are scrambling to assess the damage. USNI News reports the number of in-service Virginia-class submarines impacted is said to be in the “low single digits,” according to a defense official. But with ongoing inspections on under-construction Virginia-class, Columbia-class submarines, and Ford-class aircraft carriers, the final tally could stretch into October.

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The admission from Boykin also prompted Assistant Secretary of the Navy Nickolas Guertin to send an internal memo to senior Navy leaders. That memo started circulating on social media, triggering speculation about potential sabotage. But so far it’s only speculation.

This isn’t the first time Newport News has been in hot water over sub-par welding. Back in 2007, the Navy found welders had used the wrong filler material on Virginia-class subs. In 2009, inspectors had to review welds on nine subs and four carriers after a shipyard inspector admitted to falsifying inspection reports.

Regardless if the FBI or NCIS finds criminal conspiracy or not the Navy and HII are staring down the barrel of a labor-intensive, time-consuming process to reinspect potentially compromised welds—each one possibly tucked away in the hardest-to-reach corners of a submarine or aircraft carrier. This will undoubtedly extend already massive Navy shipbuilding delays even further.

Submarines, an aircraft carrier, and frigates are years behind schedule due to skilled labor shortages, design issues, and pandemic-related supply chain challenges, according to a Navy report in April. The report revealed that the Ford Class aircraft carrier, CVN 80, is 18-26 months behind schedule, while the Virginia Class Block IV submarine lags by three years and frigates – which are not built by HII – even longer.

So, what’s next? Congress wants answers, and they want them fast. They’re looking for a comprehensive plan from the Department of Defense on how to protect Navy vessels from any future tampering. And they’re demanding “absolute transparency” throughout the process.

Here’s the bottom line: With a fleet already stretched thin and a world growing increasingly volatile—not to mention the massive delays plaguing all American shipyards—the Navy can’t afford this kind of self-inflicted wound or further setbacks. However, they also can’t risk sailors’ lives by accepting substandard work. Moving forward will be a precarious balance between urgency and safety.