Update: LHA-8 issues 'overcome'

WASHINGTON: A 13-month delay of the amphibious assault ship Bougainville (LHA-8) was caused by defects discovered in the main reduction gears, and under-staffing problems at the Ingalls Shipbuilding in Mississippi, a new GAO report revealed. Also, changes to the ship’s new Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar have contributed to schedule delays. Service “officials said they can do little to address the issue beyond delaying LHA 8’s delivery" to February 2025, GAO officials wrote. The delays will exceed the original target cost by $68M. Costs that exceed the cost target, but below the contract’s price ceiling, will be shared by the Navy and HII-Pascagoula, according to GAO. The delay was disclosed in recent Navy FY 2022 budget justification documents, but the GAO report brings it to the forefront with details not mentioned in the service’s justifications submitted to lawmakers. The America-class ships replace the retired Tarawa-class vessels. The number of amphibs has been a sensitive issue with the Pentagon. It's the Marine Corps’ vessel of choice but budget constraints have made that challenging. (Source: Breaking Defense 06/09/22) Gear defects, under staffing driving year-long delay on LHA-8 - Breaking Defense

UPDATE 06/15/22: Following the publication of a GAO report last week that revealed problems causing a year's delay in LHA-8's construction schedule, the Navy told Breaking Defense the issues have been largely addressed, including some not discussed in the report. GAO's June 8 report laid out reasons why Bougainville (LHA-8) had been delayed by 13 months, including defects in the main reduction gear and under staffing problems at HII-Pascagoula. A Navy spokesperson told Breaking Defense June 15 that,  while the schedule remains delayed, the GAO report was based on now-outdated information and “several challenges” have been “realized and overcome."