The U.S. Navy is facing challenges repairing the nearly 30-year-old amphibious assault ship Boxer. Boxer left San Diego, California, for deployment on April 1 but had to turn around on April 11 due to issues with its rudder and roller bearing system. The repairs will likely be conducted at Naval Station San Diego and may allow Boxer to resume deployment as soon as this summer.
Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro expressed concerns about the antiquated amphibious fleet lacking necessary repair capacity. The Navy is considering using an underwater repair team to fix Boxer, which would avoid delays caused by waiting for a dry dock. Del Toro mentioned that the Navy’s fiscal 2025 budget includes plans to purchase new amphibious ships to address these challenges.
Lawmakers have urged the Navy to sign a multi-ship contract with HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding to lower costs of acquiring amphibious platforms. Del Toro hopes to have this deal worked out in the coming weeks to improve the Navy’s fleet and deployment capabilities.
