The mechanical problems that have dogged the amphibious landing ship USS San Antonio since delivery in 2005 appear to have resurfaced despite tens of millions of dollars being spent on rectification work. In the latest setback, the $1.8 billion ship is again out of action, with persistent problems affecting all four engines. This comes less than two months after returning to sea following lengthy repairs.
A navy investigation into the first-of-class’s poor history of reliability, which has also affected follow-on ships of the class to a lesser extent, identified a number of inadequacies. These blamed lax workmanship, poor quality control during construction, and shortcomings in the ship’s design, but also cited problems with crew training and management of engineering issues. But the latest faults are not expected to delay preparations for her next deployment.
