Welders working on the U.S. military’s most cutting-edge new vessels in Hampton Roads intentionally cut corners, rendering parts of those vessels unsafe. That shocking statement comes from the president of Newport New Shipbuilding, Jennifer Boykin.
Boykin shared on LinkedIn what she called “very serious and disappointing news”. Certain welding jobs on submarines and aircraft carriers under construction at Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) were not up to quality standards, her post says. She goes on to say that it wasn’t an accident: some of the welders in question knowingly violated weld procedures.
The problem was brought to light by whistleblowers within the company, shipbuilders who “did the right thing and came forward by either self-reporting or calling the HII OpenLine (Newport News Shipbuilding is a division of Huntington-Ingalls Industries, HII). Boykin called these whistleblowers honest and brave.
An internal investigation confirmed the reports were valid and Boykin says a team of internal and independent engineering and quality experts are working to determine the root cause and to correct the actions.
The thought of unsafe welding aboard a military aircraft carrier or submarine is a sobering one. Boykin writes, “We have to remember our nation depends on us to deliver the highest quality ships, as do the moms, dads, spouses and children of our Navy sailors who live aboard them. Let me be clear: 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.”
Meanwhile, NNS notified the Department of Justice of the issue. In turn, the House Armed Services Committee in Congress has launched an investigation. In a joint statement, the committee and the Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces say, “The safety of our sailors is our top concern, and we need to immediately understand any risks associated with the faulty work.”
They’re pushing for openness from the U.S. military on what went wrong, saying in the statement, “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. Absolute transparency with Congress is essential.”
NNS has been awarded multiple massive submarine projects in recent years. In April 2023, the company was given a a $567 million contract to provide material and advanced construction for two Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines. They will begin advance construction of the next five in the Columbia class. NNI is also the partner yard for a $24.1 billion project to build 10 Virginia-class submarines. They are responsible for construction of the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, the first of which it sent off to deployment in 2022.
The company’s president says in reaction to this investigation, “Every choice you make as a shipbuilder has long lasting impact.” Boykin promises in her LinkedIn statement, “We will fix this. We will learn from it. We will come back stronger.”
