US Navy News

[James1978]

Amphibious Ship Suffers Breakdown, Marking at Least Third Navy Mechanical Issue This Year
Military.com | By Konstantin Toropin
Published September 06, 2024

One of the Navy's amphibious warships suffered a major mechanical failure earlier this week that forced it to return to port -- at least the third such incident this year.

Lt. Cmdr. David Carter, a spokesman for Naval Surface Force Atlantic, confirmed that the USS Iwo Jima suffered "a non-propulsion-related materiel casualty in the engineering department" that forced the ship to return to Naval Station Norfolk on Thursday. That description could cover everything from a problem with the ship's hydraulics to power generators to potable water equipment.

In an email to Military.com on Friday, Carter said that the ship was at sea conducting training to prepare it for an eventual deployment and the breakdown comes just weeks after the Marine Corps began calling for more regular deployments of its Marine units that serve aboard ships like the Iwo Jima.

A ship watcher who goes by the name AirAssets online first spotted the problem when they noticed, using tracking websites, several tugs sailing out into open waters off Virginia Beach to meet the ship. Several hours later, the Iwo Jima was spotted coming back to Norfolk.

Carter would not offer more details about what exactly failed on the ship but did say that it was not an issue with the ship's rudder. However, AirAssets told Military.com in an interview Friday that the ship struggled to maintain its course as it returned to Norfolk.

Rudder issues were the same problem that forced the USS Boxer to return from its deployment in April just 10 days after setting sail.

In March, a very similar series of events played out with the USS Wasp, the same class of ship as the Iwo Jima and in the same waters off of Virginia.

The same ship watcher spotted the Wasp having issues and abruptly returning to port. The watcher's account reported that the ship suffered damage to its propeller shaft.

When asked about that March incident, Carter said that the ship "discovered an engineering irregularity" that forced it to return to port without confirming or denying a shaft issue.

"30+-year-old warships will experience materiel challenges," Carter argued at the time, before noting that the commander of the Navy's surface fleet in the Atlantic "focuses on … how we respond to those challenges."

The Wasp ultimately deployed in June, but the Navy's top officer, Adm. Lisa Franchetti, suggested in April that this may have been later than expected, telling reporters that the service was "seeing some potential delays on Wasp."


Meanwhile, the Boxer finally deployed in mid-July. The delay meant that the two other ships carrying a large portion of the Marine expeditionary units, or MEUs, had to spend months in the Pacific Ocean without the Marines, aircraft and vehicles that the Boxer was set to carry.

These delays and breakdowns are set to reignite a point of friction between the Navy and Marine Corps over whether the sea service can reliably transport Marines to sea so that they can fulfill their obligation of being a ready response force.

Last year, then-Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. David Berger expressed serious regrets over the fact that he wasn't able to have Marines ready to go in the Mediterranean Sea amid two crises: a massive earthquake in Turkey and unrest in Sudan.

"Places like Turkey or, the last couple of weeks, in Sudan -- I feel like I let down the combatant commander," Berger told members of the House Armed Services Committee in April 2023.

More recently, in January 2024, a Marine Corps three-star general also said that not only are the Navy's amphibious ships not ready to deploy Marines around the world on time, the problem also has no short-term fix.

Since then, both Franchetti and the current leader of the Marine Corps, Gen. Eric Smith, have tried to present a more unified front on the issue. But just last month, Smith released his annual planning document that both codified his intent to constantly have a MEU on deployment and also noted that the Navy needs to do more to help the Marine Corps meet that goal.

"My intent is for the Marine Corps to provide Geographic Combatant Commanders with a continuous 3.0 MEU presence," Smith said in the planning document, before noting that "the term 3.0 refers to heel-to-toe deployments of one MEU from the East Coast, one MEU from the West Coast, and the 31st MEU originating from Forward Deployed Naval Forces (FDNF) in Japan."

The document went on to emphasize that his ability to make good on that goal relies heavily on the Navy having enough amphibious ships to support the Marines, and he added that, "in the meantime, [Marines] must find creative solutions in lieu of perfect remedies."

Smith said he would continue to advocate for five ships based in Japan and noted that, in order "to meet the material and personnel readiness goals associated with a 3.0 MEU requirement, the United States Navy will likely require increased resources" for years to come.

[Johnnie Lyle]

It’s the maintenance side.

Maintenance is neither sexy nor important to the powers that be. So it’s been systematically neglected.

We’re now paying the price.

[James1978]

U.S. Navy's Manning Shortage is Hurting Underway Maintenance
September 11, 2024
By The Maritime Executive

The U.S. Navy's growing manning gap is adding to its existing fleet maintenance issues, according to the Government Accountability Office. In a fleetwide survey, GAO found that most warship crews are having a hard time performing underway repairs and maintenance because they do not have enough people on board to do the work. As incomplete underway maintenance leads to more serious issues down the road, like increased rates of corrosion or mechanical wear, the challenges in getting the work done at sea are adding to the Navy's difficulty in completing timely repairs during drydock or pierside availabilities. Mission-limiting backlog counts rose measurably in 2023 rose from about 8,500 job items to about 9,000 job items, with most of the increase concentrated in the surface fleet.

The Navy is shorthanded by about 25,000 enlisted personnel, or about 10 percent short of target. GAO has previously reported that Navy crew sizes are too small, even by the Navy's own manning standards, and that crew reductions were increasing operational risk and impacting warships' material condition. Crew size was a factor in the two deadly destroyer collisions in 2017, and while the Navy vowed to make improvements after these devastating casualties, its recruiting shortfalls may make adequate manning more difficult than ever to achieve.

To gauge the service's ability to get work done at sea, GAO's inspectors visited 25 ships, interviewed 140 officers and petty officers, and surveyed the executive officers on 232 battle force ships across the fleet (including subs). 63 percent of the XOs consulted said that it was "moderately to extremely difficult" to complete repairs under way with the number of sailors that they had on board. Even sailors who are on board may not be available to help out with maintenance because their other duties and assignments prevent it - leaving more work for the others, particularly for senior personnel.

"More capable sailors that perform a lot of maintenance get burned out and tired of taking up the slack for other sailors and leave the Navy to do the same work for better pay and working conditions," one respondent told GAO in a survey.

Sailor training and skill level are also matters of serious concern. Two-thirds of XOs said that it is moderately or extremely difficult to get work done with sailors who underwent current classroom training, and another 75 percent said that sailors have a difficult time completing repairs. The numbers were significantly better for sailors who had completed practical on-the-job training led by experienced personnel.

[James1978]

Navy awards General Dynamics NASSCO contract worth up to $6.7B for 8 new fleet oilers
With the contract, the Navy now has agreements in place to buy up to 17 of the planned 20 ships in the class.

By Justin Katz
September 13, 2024

WASHINGTON — The Navy today announced it has awarded General Dynamics NASSCO a contract worth up to $6.7 billion for the construction of up to eight John Lewis-class fleet oilers, a block buy deal the service anticipates will save $491 million.

Tom Rivers, executive director for amphibious, auxiliary and sealift for program executive office ships, told reporters the contract also extends an ongoing shipbuilding capability preservation agreement the Navy has with NASSCO meant to incentivize shipbuilders to seek out commercial work.

“The way this works is … if NASCO is successful in getting the commercial work, the Navy will share some of the burden cost of overhead,” he told reporters shortly after the contract announcement was published. “What happens is NASSCO becomes more competitive, and then the Navy, by bringing in additional commercial work, reduces our overhead, so our costs will go down.”

He added that the statute dates back to the 1990s and has been in use with NASSCO for several years now, but the new contract extends the agreement into the mid-2030s.

The service in 2016 awarded General Dynamics NASSCO a $3.2 billion contract for the design and construction of the first six ships of the John Lewis-class fleet oilers. Subsequently in 2022, the Navy bought two additional ships and then a third in 2023. With the addition of today’s contract, the service will have agreements for up to 17 of the planned 20 ships in the class.

Replenishment oilers carry jet fuel, diesel fuel and lubricating oil, and small quantities of fresh and frozen provisions, stores, potable water and other items, according to a Navy description of the Kaiser class, the legacy class of ships the newer vessels will replace.

NASSCO is the San Diego-based shipbuilding arm of General Dynamics and is a staple Navy shipbuilder for various support and auxiliary vessels such as the John Lewis-class oilers and the expeditionary sea bases, as well as a ship repair yard.

“We are pleased to continue building these ships, with seventeen of the Navy’s twenty-ship program of record now on contract. This will make the T-AO program the longest Navy production series in NASSCO history,” Dave Carver, president of General Dynamics NASSCO, said in a statement. “The NASSCO team is honored to continue working with our Navy customer and thankful for their unwavering support.”

The Navy’s current class of replenishment oiler ships were first constructed and launched in the 1980s by Avondale Shipyards, an independent shipyard that was acquired by several larger firms over the years but ultimately closed in 2014.

[James1978]

The Navy will buy more oilers. Now it needs enough mariners to crew them
By Alison Bath
Stars and Stripes • September 18, 2024

A Navy plan to buy at least eight more replenishment oilers for $6.75 billion has raised doubts whether the service will be able to crew the ships when they’re ready.

The oilers are critical to keeping the Navy’s warships moving in a hypothetical war against an adversary with a large modern military, such as China, analysts say.

But it remains unclear how the service over the long term will address the shortage of skilled civilian mariners needed to man oiler, hospital and other support ships managed by Military Sealift Command.

The temporary fix is to sideline 17 ships. The Navy hopes that a plan to reassign 700 people from those ships to others will fill gaps and allow mariners to take adequate vacation time.

The underlying problem with the proposal is “that they are pulling these crews from vessels that are a lot different than the oilers and the underway replenishment ships,” said Sal Mercogliano, an adjunct professor at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy who has served ashore and at sea for Military Sealift Command.

Many of the mariners being reassigned are coming from cargo ships, Mercogliano said.

Unlike active-duty sailors, civilian mariners are at-will employees, meaning they can quit their jobs at any time.

“They don’t have the experience, and some of them may not come,” said Mercogliano, who likened the discrepancy in skills to that between taxicab operators and long-haul truck drivers.

Military Sealift operates about 125 civilian-crewed ships that replenish Navy ships, pre-position combat cargo at sea and conduct specialized missions. The fleet’s 15 Kaiser-class oilers also are operated by the command, according to its website.

In all, roughly 5,500 civilians fill about 4,500 jobs across Military Sealift Command. But about 10,000 mariners are needed, experts say.

A grueling schedule, along with a policy that forced many civilian mariners to stay on their ships for months on end during the COVID-19 pandemic, led many of them to leave.

Meanwhile, the Navy is replacing the current class of oilers, which were first commissioned in 1987. Three new John Lewis-class vessels have been delivered to the service but not yet deployed. Three others are under construction and another three are under contract, according to the Navy.

The number of civilian mariners freed up for that new construction by moving about 12 expeditionary fast transports, or EFPs, and five other ships to inactive status likely would be insufficient, said Steven Wills, a retired Navy officer and research scientist at the Arlington, Va.-based think tank CNA.

“Each EFP has a nominal crew of 22,” Wills said. “It takes 99 such people to crew a John Lewis-class (oiler), so not much additional ship crew bought by that change.”

Maritime Sealift Command needs to address the crew shortage by stepping up recruitment efforts at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and six state maritime academies, analysts said.

Those efforts could include incentives, such as help with paying for tuition at the state academies.

The command also needs to ensure that policy is changed so mariners at sea receive adequate paid leave, while administrative backlogs that keep them from quickly receiving required credentials for sea duty are eliminated, Mercogliano said.

More attention should be paid to helping Navy veterans gain the education and certifications needed to transition to a civilian mariner career, Mercogliano added.

“If you run into opposition long enough, you’re going to say, ‘I’m going to do something else,’” he said. “You lose mariners that way.”

[Johnnie Lyle]

We’re spending a lot of money on new ships, but nowhere near enough to maintain them.

Great.

[James1978]

Some (hopefully) positive news for the submarine industrial base.

Austal USA Secures $450 Million Contract to Boost U.S. Navy Submarine Production
By Mike Schuler - gCaptain
September 16, 2024

Australian shipbuilder Austal Limited has announced that its U.S. subsidiary, Austal USA, has been awarded a significant contract worth US$450 million by General Dynamics Electric Boat. The contract aims to expand Austal USA’s production capacity at its U.S. shipyard, supporting the U.S. Navy Submarine Industrial Base (SIB).

Electric Boat is the prime contractor for the Columbia- and Virginia-class submarine programs.

The funds will be used to enhance Austal USA’s existing infrastructure by designing, constructing, and outfitting a new module fabrication and outfitting facility at its Mobile shipyard. The expansion is in line with the U.S. Navy’s goal of delivering one Columbia-class and two Virginia-class submarines annually. Construction of the new facility is scheduled to begin this Fall and is expected to be completed by 2026.

Once fully operational, the new building will create approximately 1,000 jobs and provide the capability to fabricate, outfit, and transport submarine components.

“General Dynamics Electric Boat has recognised that Austal USA is a solid partner to deliver high-quality components for Virginia- and Columbia-class submarines,” said Austal Limited’s Chief Executive Officer, Paddy Gregg. “This growing partnership demonstrates confidence in Austal USA’s commitment to meet the needs of the U.S. maritime industrial base and support the most critical needs of the U.S. Navy.”

This contract further strengthens Austal USA’s position in the U.S. naval shipbuilding industry. It adds to the company’s existing portfolio of projects for various U.S. Navy and Coast Guard programs. These include the U.S. Coast Guard’s Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC), and the U.S. Navy TAGOS-25 ocean surveillance ship, Landing Craft Utility (LCU) vessel, Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF), Navajo-class Towing, Salvage and Rescue ship (T-ATS), Expeditionary Medical Ship (EMS), Auxiliary Floating Dry Dock Medium (AFDM), and Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) programs.

[James1978]

Is it just me, or does intentional error sound like a polite way of saying sabotage?

DoJ Notified of Suspected Faulty Welds on Subs, Aircraft Carriers at Newport News Shipbuilding
By Sam LaGrone
September 26, 2024

Shipuilder Newport News Shipbuilding, Va., informed the Department of Justice of faulty welds that may have been made intentionally on non-critical components on in-service Navy submarines and aircraft carriers, USNI News has learned.

HII reported to the Navy that welds on new construction and in-service submarines and Ford-class aircraft carriers were made not following welding procedure, according to a Tuesday memo from Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition Nickolas Guertin to Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti.

Guertin told SECNAV and CNO the workers did not follow proper techniques to weld the suspect joints with an early indication that some of the welding errors were intentional. Based on the Newport News assessment of the welds, the shipyard notified the Department of Justice over the issue.

Portions of Guertin’s memo were first circulated on social media sites on Thursday.

Newport News acknowledged their internal quality assurance systems discovered production problems in a Thursday statement to USNI News

“We recently discovered through internal reporting that the quality of some welds did not meet our high-quality standards. Upon this discovery, we took immediate action to communicate with our customers and regulators, investigate, determine root cause, bound these matters and insert immediate corrective actions to prevent any recurrence of these issues,” reads the statement.
“HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding is committed to building the highest-quality aircraft carriers and submarines for the U.S. Navy. 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.”

The Navy acknowledged the ongoing look into the scope of the welding problem in a Thursday statement to USNI News.

“The Navy is 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. We are working closely with industry partners to address this situation and will provide additional information when available,” reads the statement.

The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for additional information from USNI News on Thursday on the probe into the welds.

Newport News is one of two nuclear shipyards in the U.S. The yard builds the Ford-class aircraft carriers and the bow and stern sections of the Virginia-class attack submarines and the Columbia-class nuclear ballistic missile submarines in cooperation with General Dynamics Electric Boat.

Shipbuilders across the country have been wrestling with ongoing workforce problems due in part to a green labor pool that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

[Poohbah]

Is it just me, or does intentional error sound like a polite way of saying sabotage?

DoJ Notified of Suspected Faulty Welds on Subs, Aircraft Carriers at Newport News Shipbuilding
By Sam LaGrone
September 26, 2024

Shipuilder Newport News Shipbuilding, Va., informed the Department of Justice of faulty welds that may have been made intentionally on non-critical components on in-service Navy submarines and aircraft carriers, USNI News has learned.

HII reported to the Navy that welds on new construction and in-service submarines and Ford-class aircraft carriers were made not following welding procedure, according to a Tuesday memo from Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition Nickolas Guertin to Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti.

Guertin told SECNAV and CNO the workers did not follow proper techniques to weld the suspect joints with an early indication that some of the welding errors were intentional. Based on the Newport News assessment of the welds, the shipyard notified the Department of Justice over the issue.

Portions of Guertin’s memo were first circulated on social media sites on Thursday.

Newport News acknowledged their internal quality assurance systems discovered production problems in a Thursday statement to USNI News

“We recently discovered through internal reporting that the quality of some welds did not meet our high-quality standards. Upon this discovery, we took immediate action to communicate with our customers and regulators, investigate, determine root cause, bound these matters and insert immediate corrective actions to prevent any recurrence of these issues,” reads the statement.
“HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding is committed to building the highest-quality aircraft carriers and submarines for the U.S. Navy. 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.”

The Navy acknowledged the ongoing look into the scope of the welding problem in a Thursday statement to USNI News.

“The Navy is 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. We are working closely with industry partners to address this situation and will provide additional information when available,” reads the statement.

The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for additional information from USNI News on Thursday on the probe into the welds.

Newport News is one of two nuclear shipyards in the U.S. The yard builds the Ford-class aircraft carriers and the bow and stern sections of the Virginia-class attack submarines and the Columbia-class nuclear ballistic missile submarines in cooperation with General Dynamics Electric Boat.

Shipbuilders across the country have been wrestling with ongoing workforce problems due in part to a green labor pool that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Put me in charge of the interrogation effort. I will ensure that all parties are FOCUSED!

[jemhouston]

Good news, you can get Diehard batteries from Advance Auto