WASHINGTON - Eight leaky patrol boats are at the heart of a bitter dispute between the Coast Guard and its former partners in the defense industry as the nation's smallest military service struggles to update an antiquated fleet on a tight budget.
In April, Adm. Thad Allen, Coast Guard commandant, announced at a press briefing that the service would decommission the eight patrol boats, worth around $100 million combined, just months after the first emerged from extensive work at a Northrop Grumman shipyard that included lengthening the hull by 13 feet. The lead vessel's hull buckled on its maiden voyage, betraying serious flaws in Northrop Grumman's hull work. The boat's propeller shaft was also found to be misaligned. Allen said the government would consider suing Northrop Grumman and its partner, Lockheed Martin, for an undisclosed sum. ...
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