Northrop-Grumman’s Newport News Shipbuilding is challenging a report published in The Savannah Morning News on April 23, 2005, which alleged that a dozen shipyard workers who had installed protective foam inside the hulls of aircraft carriers said “they had fudged records or installed the foam contrary to specifications in order to meet deadlines.” The polyurethane substance is pumped between layers of steel in some portions of a carrier’s hull and hardens to provide an additional barrier against torpedoes, missiles and mines.
Northrop Grumman hired an independent consultant to investigate the claims after a reporter brought them forward, she said, adding that the inquiry concluded that the foam was mixed and installed properly. In addition, a handwriting expert who examined log sheets kept on the installations found no evidence they had been altered – a major allegation in the newspaper’s report.
If mixed or installed incorrectly, the foam could set incorrectly and become less effective. While the Navy said it had not identified any performance problems associated with the foam, the location and function of the foam means that any problems would become evident only if one of the carriers sustained an attack and the material failed to perform as expected. Once the material is pumped in and the hull sealed, there is no way to inspect it.
The foam has been in use for about 30 years in U.S. designs, with some alterations made to the formulas during this period.
Niewport News Shipbuilding maintains that the premise of the news story is flawed. The Savannah Morning News is standing by its story. The Virginian-Pilot: Shipyard rebuts claim of dishonest carrier work