The amphibious assault ship USS Boxer returns to San Diego after sea trials on Aug. 22, 2023. (Mark Faram/U.S. Navy)
SAN DIEGO (Tribune News Service) — No quick fix is in the offing for the USS Boxer, the amphibious assault ship that experienced mechanical problems in early April, forcing it to return to San Diego 10 days after deploying to the Indo-Pacific.
“As inspections and assessments are continuing, a decision on the most efficient way to execute repairs in still being determined,” the Navy said in an emailed statement to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
The 843-foot ship, which carries Marine amphibious forces and a variety of aircraft, is currently docked at Naval Station San Diego.
The Navy did not respond to the Union-Tribune’s questions about the nature of the Boxer’s mechanical problems and whether repairs are being delayed by congestion at San Diego ship repair yards.
The piers at BAE Systems and General Dynamics-NASSCO that are large enough to handle Boxer are currently occupied by other warships.
The Navy also did not respond to a question asking whether it is considering sending Boxer to a shipyard in Oregon or Washington. The ship had been scheduled to deploy to the Indo-Pacific to help deal with growing tensions with China and was carrying elements of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit from Camp Pendleton.
The so-called “mini” aircraft carrier is regarded as one of the most important ships in the Navy due to its ability to rapidly project Marines ashore.
The shipyard issue represents one of the biggest problems the Navy currently faces.
“The Navy’s ship maintenance backlog has grown to $1.8 billion, and the Navy has increasingly deferred maintenance on critical systems,” the Government Accountability Office said in a 2022 report.
The nearly 30-year-old Boxer has experienced numerous mechanical problems in recent years. The trip it began on April 1 marked the first time in five years that the ship had left on deployment.
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