New Navy Ships Have Trouble Surviving the High Seas

[dbackjon]

The U.S. Navy is spending millions of dollars to repair new high-speed transport ships built by Austal Ltd. because their weak bows can’t stand buffeting from high seas, according to the Pentagon’s chief weapons tester.

“The entire ship class requires reinforcing structure” to bridge the twin hulls of the all-aluminum catamarans because of a design change that the Navy adopted at Austal’s recommendation for the $2.1 billion fleet of Expeditionary Fast Transports, Michael Gilmore, the Defense Department’s director of operational test and evaluation, said in a report to Congress.


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[89Hen]

Thanks Obama.

[Ibanez]

Thanks defense contractors!

[GannonFan]

I blame 93, he might've signed off on the contract.

[CID1990]

Thanks, Federal procurement system!

[SuperHornet]

Misleading thread title. Makes it sound like ALL ships recently received by the Navy are having flotation problems, while it's just this one catamaran design. Probably shouldn't be looking at this type of ship, anyway. Everyone's seen what happens at speedboat races....

[mrklean]

Thanks DOD. They are the only federal department that is protected from a audit. BTW, the current price tag of the F-35 in now 1.5 TRILLION US dollars and counting. Thanks DOD.

[93henfan]

Thanks defense contractors!

I blame 93, he might've signed off on the contract.

Thanks, Federal procurement system!

I've never worked for NAVSEA, so don't blame me.

Now, if any Coast Guard National Security Cutters ever develop this issue, well then...

Ibanez and CID are both correct here actually. A team of engineers (undoubtedly DOD contractor) certified the design, a Government COR (Contracting Officer's Representive - likely also an engineer) accepted that design, and a Government Contracting Officer (me and my ilk) trusted that those people knew what they were doing and signed the contract.

At this point, the Contracting Officer, if they are worth half a damn, should be assembling their legal team and pursuing a liability claim against the design contractor. I have successfully made liability settlements with Architect-Engineer firms for several oversights in construction design.

[Skjellyfetti]

You contracting officers sound like some mighty litigious fucks.

If you sign off on it, maybe some of the onus is on you?

Or, if you fuck up... just find someone to sue and cover your ass I guess?

[93henfan]

You contracting officers sound like some mighty litigious fucks.

If you sign off on it, maybe some of the onus is on you?

Or, if you fuck up... just find someone to sue and cover your ass I guess?

If a design is certified by an engineer, barring unforeseen site conditions, the onus is on the engineer.

I'm not an engineer, and an engineer can't obligate taxpayer money, so I do that part. But it would be ludicrous to blame me for a certified design that doesn't work out.

[CID1990]

You contracting officers sound like some mighty litigious ****.

If you sign off on it, maybe some of the onus is on you?

Or, if you **** up... just find someone to sue and cover your ass I guess?

It isn't as simple as digging ditches, Digger.

[mrklean]

Typical Repuke Jack OFF fest involving the DOD. Lest spend another 1 trillion of a weapons systems that does not work.

[AZGrizFan]

Typical Repuke Jack OFF fest involving the DOD. Lest spend another 1 trillion of a weapons systems that does not work.

Did you even READ the thread responses, or just spew your standard tripe?

[ASUG8]

You'd think that with the thousands of eyes that see these plans in the DOD bureaucracy someone would have noted there might be design problems. Instead they're all kicking the can down the road as they are with the F-35.

For the record, I think the F-35 will eventually become a solid fighter. The V-22 Osprey had a lot of initial problems and has now become a pretty capable platform for troop transport.

[Ibanez]

Thanks defense contractors!

I blame 93, he might've signed off on the contract.

Thanks, Federal procurement system!

I've never worked for NAVSEA, so don't blame me.

Now, if any Coast Guard National Security Cutters ever develop this issue, well then...

Ibanez and CID are both correct here actually. A team of engineers (undoubtedly DOD contractor) certified the design, a Government COR (Contracting Officer's Representive - likely also an engineer) accepted that design, and a Government Contracting Officer (me and my ilk) trusted that those people knew what they were doing and signed the contract.

At this point, the Contracting Officer, if they are worth half a damn, should be assembling their legal team and pursuing a liability claim against the design contractor. I have successfully made liability settlements with Architect-Engineer firms for several oversights in construction design.

It starts with the contractor. Sounds like this ship didn't spend anytime in LRIP and went straight to FRP. That would've been discovered during the first test of the first ship.


Also, the onus is on the Government for accepting the design change.

The Navy accepted compromises in the bow structure, presumably to save weight, during the building of these ships,” Gilmore wrote lawmakers

That is, unless, the company lied.


And dback, no mention that this is a foreign company? I figured you would've been all over that.

[AZGrizFan]

You'd think that with the thousands of eyes that see these plans in the DOD bureaucracy someone would have noted there might be design problems. Instead they're all kicking the can down the road as they are with the F-35.

I think I see the problem here. It involves our government.

[ASUG8]

You'd think that with the thousands of eyes that see these plans in the DOD bureaucracy someone would have noted there might be design problems. Instead they're all kicking the can down the road as they are with the F-35.

I think I see the problem here. It involves our government.

Smart cookie, that's what you are.

[93henfan]

Pay no attention to these detractors! Our government is efficient!!

[Ivytalk]

Better commandeer the Royal Caribbean Cruises fleet.