The U.S. Navy has made some costly mistakes, according to a report from Navy Times.
This past year, the unforecasted maitenance bill as a result of ship and submarine mishaps was about $850 million, Adm. Bill Gortney, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces command told the Navy Times.
The combined, fleetwide repair bill is not known, but could be close to $1 billion, a spokesperson with the U.S. Navy told NBC 7.
Among the repairs needed as a result of Navy mishaps is on USS Essex, the amphibious assault ship that collided in May with the oiler Yukon. The ships were just a day away from returning to San Diego when the collision occurred.
No one was injured and no oil was spilled in that collision. However, the flight deck on the Yukon was damaged and the Essex suffered damage to an elevator, lifeboats and several catwalks. The ship's commander was also fired.
In response to the report, San Diego Congressman Duncan D. Hunter, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, suggested the Navy try harder to reduce the costs.
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“For the military, there will always be mishaps but limiting this incidents is absolutely necessary because they translate into greater budget liability and constraints elsewhere," he said in a statement.
"The Navy will need to take serious look at some of its operations and ascertain how it can limit the rate of mishaps, especially with tighter budgets on the horizon.”
Last month, the Navy announced it would be building fewer ships than originally planned. Pentagon officials told the Wall Street Journal that the reduction will not cut into national defense demands.
