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Faulty welds spur inspection of 7 ships

NORFOLK, Va. — Shipyard workers are inspecting the welds of seven more Navy ships — including four aircraft carriers — after faulty welds were discovered on new Virginia-class submarines built at Northrop Grumman Newport News, according to a company spokeswoman.

The carriers George H.W. Bush, Carl Vinson, Enterprise and George Washington, along with Los Angeles-class attack submarines Oklahoma City, Newport News and Toledo, are being assessed for faulty welds similar to those discovered on the Virginia-class submarines built in part at Newport News, spokeswoman Jennifer Dellapenta wrote in an e-mail response to questions from Navy Times.

But how many total ships will be evaluated “has not yet been determined,” she wrote.

The carrier Bush is under construction at Newport News, Vinson is undergoing a refueling and overhaul at the shipyard, George Washington is in port, and the Enterprise is scheduled to return to Hampton Roads later this month from its deployment to the Middle East.

She wrote that the ships are being evaluated “combining technical analysis and inspections as necessary,” in the same manner that the Virginia-class submarines were assessed. Problems with welds in non-nuclear internal piping on new Virginia-class submarines were revealed in recent news reports, but until Dellapenta’s statement on Friday, there had been no mention of the problem possibly affecting other classes of ships.

“The scope of the weld problem potentially affects all hulls delivered and under construction in the Virginia class, new construction aircraft carriers and all ships repaired” by Northrop Grumman Newport News, said Lt. Cmdr. John Schofield, spokesman for the assistant Navy secretary for research, development and acquisition.

Added Katie Roberts, spokeswoman for Naval Sea Systems Command: “We are still evaluating the long-term effects. The investigation is not complete yet.”

The inspections and analysis of internal piping systems of the carriers and Los Angeles-class subs is expected to continue into the first six months of 2008. None of the inspections has been completed yet, she wrote.

In a letter dated Tuesday to the shipyard work force, Sector President Mike Petters wrote the “welding discrepancies” have “delayed sea trials and the planned year-end delivery for North Carolina and has impacted other Virginia-class ships as well.”

He said the matter is a “technical issue that has called into question the discipline of our processes.”

Petters wrote in the letter that the problem stems from filler material used in non-nuclear welds and that welders had been allowed to carry several different types of filler material while welding.

“This practice has been halted. Today you can only carry the filler metal you need for a single, particular type of weld joint,” Petters wrote. “We are also putting into a place a rigorous set of corrective actions that include mandatory training for each and every welder and every welding foreman.”

Despite recent news reports downplaying the problem, Petters wrote that “there’s lots of work to do,” and the work force of 21,000 needs to step up.

“What really matters the most to me is that we conduct our business with the highest level of integrity, continuing to work together to provide the most technically sound and highest-quality ships to our customer in support of America’s freedom,” he wrote.