Third breakdown in year for $360M US Navy combat ships
Source: CNN
(CNN) For the third time in a year, one of the US Navy's $360 million littoral combat ships has been knocked out of action by mechanical problems.
The latest victim is the USS Freedom, which had seawater leak into one of its two main diesel propulsion systems on July 11, according to a Navy press release.
The Navy said seawater entered the engine oil lube system through a leak in a seawater pump's mechanical seal.
The leak occurred when the Freedom was participating in the 26-nation Rim of the Pacific exercises, the Navy said.
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Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/29/politics/us-navy-littoral-combat-ship-breakdowns/
= new reply since forum marked as read
But can we say user error.
"The Freedom, the first ship in its class, returned to its homeport at Naval Base San Diego, California, on July 13 under its own power to conduct repairs on an unrelated issue, officials with Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, said in a release.
While in port, personnel examined the leak, which happened at the seawater pump mechanical seal, allowing seawater to enter the engine lube oil system and damage the ship's second main propulsion diesel engine, officials said.
The crew performed seawater contamination procedures, but opted to return to sea to participate in the Rim of the Pacific multinational exercise, from July 19 to 28, using its gas turbine engines rather than its main diesel engines.
During RIMPAC, Freedom operated off the coast of southern California, training in mine interdiction warfare with American and allied ships.
Following the exercise, the ship returned to port. An Aug. 3 inspection of the number 2 diesel engine, conducted by Southwest Regional Maintenance Center's Diesel Engine Inspector, determined that rust and seawater had caused significant permanent damage to the engine.
"Based on initial assessments from the inspection, Freedom's #2 [main propulsion diesel engine] will need to be removed and rebuilt or replaced," officials said in the release.
Navy officials say the cost of the repair and the timeline for getting the work done remain unknown."
Anybody who's been out at sea knows how corrosive seawater is. I think someone was more worried about the optics of this ship sitting out of that multinational exercise.
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/08/29/third-freedom-class-lcs-breaks-down-in-12-months.html
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