Editor\u2019s note: This story has been updated with a comment from HII\u2019s Newport News Shipbuilding.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lawmakers demanded answers from the U.S. Navy on Friday over news reports that faulty welds may have been knowingly made to American submarines and aircraft carriers under construction at Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The revelations were first reported by U.S. Naval Institute News.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Few details about the matter were made public Friday, including the potential risks to sailors serving aboard the impacted ships, or whether those ships would become unavailable for operations due to the bad welds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a statement late Friday, HII, the company that owns the shipyard, said it had discovered \u201cthrough internal reporting that some welders knowingly circumvented certain welding procedures.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBased on our initial investigation, there is no indication of malicious intent,\u201d the company said. \u201cUpon 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The company\u2019s statement did not include further information on the corrective actions or longer-term solutions taken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Earlier Friday, in a joint statement, the Republican and Democrat heads of the House Armed Services Committee called reports of the faulty welds \u201cdeeply concerning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe 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,\u201d the statement by committee chairman Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and ranking member Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., states. \u201cAbsolute transparency with Congress is essential.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ranking member of the committee\u2019s Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee said in a statement that members were \u201calready in close contact with Navy leadership to ascertain the scope and severity of the weld quality issue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnytime there is a weld defect on Navy ships and submarines, the safety of the crews that serve aboard are put at risk, and the availability of these platforms are impeded,\u201d subcommittee ranking member Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., said. \u201cIt is imperative that Navy leadership disclose its investigation in a timely manner in the coming weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Navy said Friday that it was \u201caware of the issue and a thorough evaluation is underway to determine the scope.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe safety of our Sailors and our ships is of paramount importance,\u201d the sea service said. \u201cWe are working closely with industry partners to address this situation and will provide additional information when available.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Newport News yard is one of two in the United States focused on the nuclear fleet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n