The littoral combat ship’s latest problem: Class-wide structural defects leading to hull cracks

[rebewranger]

The littoral combat ship’s latest problem: Class-wide structural defects leading to hull cracks
By Geoff Ziezulewicz
 May 10, 01:10 PM
 
Since its commissioning in 2018, the littoral combat ship Omaha has developed cracks in its hull and superstructure that limit the speed it can travel and the sea states it can operate in. Internal records obtained by Navy Times show such crack risks extend throughout the fleet of Independence-class LCS. (Navy)

Half of the Navy’s littoral combat ship fleet is suffering from structural defects that have led to hull cracks on several vessels, limiting the speed and sea states in which some ships can operate, according to internal records obtained by Navy Times and confirmed by sea service officials.

The Navy has not previously disclosed the cracks in the Independence-class version of the LCS or the class-wide repercussions of the defects, nor has it identified which ships suffer from the issues.


 https://www.defensenews.com/news/your-navy/2022/05/10/the-littoral-combat-ships-latest-problem-class-wide-structural-defects-leading-to-hull-cracks/

[rebewranger]

SNAFU

[Fishrrman]

These things ought to be retired and replaced by REAL warships...

[SZonian]

"The Navy has not previously disclosed the cracks in the Independence-class version of the LCS..."

Uhm, yes they did.  I remember reading it about back then, but I'll let the author swing on his own rope...

"Naval Sea Systems Command spokesman Alan Baribeau said in a statement that the service first identified “cracks in higher-stress areas of the structure” on Independence-class ships in late 2019, when the problem became apparent on Coronado, the second ship of the class, which was commissioned in 2014."

https://www.duffelblog.com/p/champagne-bottle-cracks-littoral-combat-ships-hull-christening?s=r

https://www.military.com/dodbuzz/2012/04/24/the-navys-hull-crack-problem