The amphibious assault ship USS Boxer returns to San Diego after sea trials on Aug. 22, 2023. (Mark Faram/U.S. Navy)
(Tribune News Service) — The Navy said Wednesday it will repair the troubled amphibious assault ship USS Boxer at Naval Station San Diego and might be able to get the vessel to resume its deployment to the Indo-Pacific as early as this summer.
The ship was forced to return to San Diego in early April after it experienced mechanical problems with its starboard rudder. The interruption came only 10 days after it began a deployment that had been delayed by other mechanical problems.
“The waterborne repairs will be conducted at the pier and will likely not require a dry dock,” the Navy said in a statement, adding that it is “taking appropriate measures to ensure dry dock space is available should it be required.
“The Navy’s maintenance community is conducting a root-cause analysis to help determine the cause for the repairs.”
The repair situation has been complicated by the fact that BAE Systems and General Dynamics-NASSCO haven’t had the space to quickly accommodate the vessel at their shipyards on San Diego Bay.
The 843-foot Boxer is a “mini” carrier that stocks a variety of aircraft. It is regarded as one of the most important ships in the Navy because it has the ability to rapidly deploy Marines around the world.
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