--- title: "The Navy Says Its Nuclear Submarines Are Beat Up Pieces of Crap" description: "The US Navy is having some serious issues with procuring parts for its Virginia-class nuclear-powered fast-attack submarines." date: "2021-06-22" modified: "2021-06-22" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/navy-nuclear-submarines-beat-up" categories: - "Energy" - "Nuclear Fusion" - "Renewable Energy" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "Navy" - "nuclear submarine" - "submarines" - "the digest" --- # The Navy Says Its Nuclear Submarines Are Beat Up Pieces of Crap ![The US Navy is having some serious issues with procuring parts for its Virginia-class nuclear-powered fast-attack submarines.]() *\Image: US Navy\* ## Sub-Optimal The US Navy is having some serious issues with procuring replacement parts for its nuclear-powered fast-attack submarines. According [to *Bloomberg*](), more than 1,600 parts had to be swapped among the Navy's Virginia-class submarines since 2013 just to keep them operational. Many of these components were meant to be good for 33 years — but started wearing out decades early. The submarines are crucial for the Navy's attempts to counter China's quickly growing surface fleet, the Pentagon says, since they're able to strike surface vessels with torpedoes or attack land targets with Tomahawk cruise missiles. In other words, the Navy can't afford to have them out of commission for too long. ## Maintenance Experts are now seemingly worried that the Navy is behind on maintenance and not investing enough to ensure its infrastructure is up to date. Meanwhile, Congress has turned up the pressure to have the Navy construct three, not just two, vessels a year, according to *Bloomberg*. But parts are "failing more quickly than we originally envisioned so we have to go back and find alternate sources for those parts," acting Navy secretary Thomas Harker at a Tuesday Senate committee hearing, as quoted by the outlet. Some parts are exposed to "corrosion caused by complex galvanic interactions," according to a Navy statement, "that had not been predicted in some operating environments." These interactions usually occur when two different metal surfaces touch each other for extended periods of time. "Cannibalizing" parts, or trading parts between vessels, can incur extra risks and greatly increases the workload. The Navy now has the job to get ahead of any unanticipated issues and will have to likely adjust any future plans for the next generation of vessels. **READ MORE:** [U.S. Navy’s Deadliest New Sub Is Hobbled Over Spare Parts]() \[*Bloomberg*\] **More on submarines:** *[Lost Submarine Found, Torn Apart Into Three Sections]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()