It appears that the Electric boat and Newport News Shipyards are having to do some rework after serious flaws were discovered in the manufacturing of the weapons handling systems for the Virginia Class Submarines under construction. (also here)

Northrop Grumman Corp. and General Dynamics Corp., the U.S. Navy’s two largest shipbuilders, are reviewing their work on Virginia-class nuclear submarines after defects were found on weapons-handling systems of four vessels.

The companies have discovered improperly drilled and machined bolt holes, bolts that had been wrongly machined and fasteners that weren’t installed correctly, Alan Baribeau, a Navy spokesman, said in an e-mail today. The companies will deliver their combined review to the service in two weeks, he said.

It appears the the defects have the possibility of making it impossible to load weapons, or weapons coming loose under shock.

The commissioning of the New Mexico, and the entry into service of the North Carolina, will both be delayed as a result.

Something is seriously Cheneyed up here. These are not the first of these boats out of either yard, and bugs like this should be worked out by now.