Photo Shows That U.S. Submarines Still Have Stealth Problems

This official photo of the USS Colorado (SSN 788) returning to Groton on February 20 clearly shows parts of the stealth coating missing. H I Sutton (original photo US Navy)

Forbes: Photo Shows That U.S. Submarines Still Have Stealth Problems

One of the U.S. Navy’s latest fast attack submarines, the USS Colorado, recently returned from its maiden deployment. Homecoming photos show that large sections of the stealth coating have come off.

This issue is not new. Last September a whistleblower accused a U.S. shipbuilder of falsifying quality tests on the stealth coating. Whether or not quality control is an issue, the coatings are evidently still falling off.

USS Colorado (SSN 788) is the 15th Virginia Class submarine, and the fifth of the enhanced Block-III model. She was launched on March 17, 2018, so she is still considered new. And this was her first deployment. Significantly, she was built at a different shipyard than the one in the whistleblower case. This shows that problems with the coating are wider than that one complaint.

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WNU Editor: The U.S. Navy is not alone in having these problems .... U.S. Navy Submarines May Have Stealth Problems, But They’re Not Alone (Forbes).