The Nation : Navy Probing Cracks in New Atom Sub

Navy officials are investigating two severe cracks in the outer steel hull of a Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine under construction at the Electric Boat shipyard in Groton, Conn., officials said. The company described the cracks in the nearly completed Topeka, an SSN-688 fast-attack submarine, as “quite severe” and said workers may have to replace a portion of the giant pressure hull. Electric Boat said the cracks represent “a very unusual occurrence.” The company is seeking to determine the cause of the cracks. Electric Boat, a division of General Dynamics Corp., said Armco Inc. of Parsippany, N.J., supplied the steel for the submarine. “It is too premature to identify any financial liabilities,” the company said.