U.S. Navy nuclear submarines have been built of substandard steel for 30 years

The U.S. Navy’s nuclear submarines were built of non-compliant materials after a 30-year-old U.S. metallurgical engineer disassembled the steel strength tests that withstand extreme diving pressures and extreme temperatures.

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Elaine Thomas, 67, pleaded guilty to a major fraud on Monday, Nov. 8, in a court in the state of Washington in the northwestern United States for falsifying these tests to cover up the fact that steel was cast in its foundry. The U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement that the U.S. Navy must meet the required criteria. She faces up to 10 years in prison and a $ 1 million fine when the judge renders her verdict next February.

Elaine Thomas, one of the first female metallurgical engineers in the country in the 1970s, oversaw the testing of the Bradcon company’s founding in Tacoma, a suburb of Seattle. This foundry, close to the large Kitsch submarine base, is capable of producing steel strong enough to meet the needs of the U.S. Navy, and large groups such as security divisions that build U.S. assault submarines, such as General Dynamics or Huntington Ingles Industries.

Each time the steel is cast for the submarines, a portion of the metal must be poured into the test mold, which is as thick as the parts of the submarine structure, to withstand the great pressure coming from the depths. This test mold is then analyzed to ensure that each product meets the strict criteria set by the Pentagon. However, between Elaine Thomas’ retirement in 1985 and 2017, half of the muscles produced by the Tacoma plant did not meet these criteria, thus improving the results obtained by manually adjusting the figures.

“Intent to deceive the US Navy”

In some cases, she explained, she did it because she was judged. “StupidTests should be conducted at -100 degrees Fahrenheit (-73 degrees Celsius) for the US Navy. In others, she explained that she had used her. “Engineering JudgmentWe edit a number because everyone else knew better.

Fraud was discovered when Elaine Thomas was downsizing his business before retiring and his tests were reviewed by a coach, who warned the foundry management. In June 2020, Bradcon accepted responsibility and agreed to pay a $ 11 million fine. Elaine Thomas “Set up and used a system with the intention of deceiving the US Navy2, according to the indictment. To her “False the results of more than 240 steel products, which is a substantial portion of the steel brad made for the Navy.“In his defense, the former metallurgist.”The integrity of the object is never intended to be compromised.

She said to herself “Satisfied that government tests did not show that the structural integrity of any submarine was actually compromised.“According to the security, but according to the judiciary, the US Navy”Significant measures had to be taken to ensure the safety of the affected submarines.

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The U.S. Navy did not comment. Between 1985 and 2017, the Pentagon captured dozens of submarines, about 40 of which are still in service.