Reports that welds on Navy submarines and aircraft carriers being built at Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia may have been intentionally flawed have sparked a congressional investigation.

In a joint statement Friday, leaders of both parties on the House Armed Services Committee called for “absolute transparency” from the Navy on the matter.

“It is deeply troubling to learn that defective welds may have been knowingly made on U.S. Navy submarines and aircraft carriers,” said the statement from committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala.; Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., ranking member of the committee; Seapower Subcommittee Chairman Trent Kelly, R-Miss.; and Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., ranking member of the Seapower Subcommittee.

Read more: ROTC scholarships could be cut this decade as the Army struggles with an officer glut

“The House Armed Services Committee is investigating how this happened,” the statement continued. “The safety of our seafarers is our primary concern and we must immediately understand any risks associated with the incorrect work. The Department of Defense must provide our committee with immediate answers and a plan for how it will protect U.S. Navy ships from tampering.”

A Navy spokesman confirmed the problem with the welds on Friday but provided few other details, including the safety risks facing sailors on the ships, whether the ships are inoperable or in need of major repairs and exactly how the problem occurred could.

“The Navy is aware of the issue and a thorough assessment is underway to determine the extent,” the spokesman said in an emailed statement. “The safety of our sailors and our ships is of utmost importance. We are working closely with industry partners to address this situation and will provide additional information as it becomes available.”

The issue was first reported by USNI News. Citing an internal memo from the Navy’s acquisition chief to the service, the news agency reported that early indications suggested some of the welding errors were intentional and that the shipyard had referred the case to the Justice Department.

Todd Corillo, a spokesman for the Newport News Shipbuilding division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, acknowledged Friday that some welders “knowingly circumvented certain welding procedures,” but stressed that an initial investigation showed “no evidence of malicious intent.”

“We will not tolerate behavior that compromises our company’s values ​​and our mission to deliver ships that protect our nation and its sailors,” Corillo said in an emailed statement. “As a result of this discovery, we have taken steps to communicate with our customers and regulators, conduct investigations, determine root causes, address the issue and take immediate corrective action while we work on longer-term solutions.”

Newport News is one of two nuclear shipyards in the country. It is responsible for the construction of Ford-class aircraft carriers as well as parts of various submarine classes.

In their statement, House Defense Committee leaders noted the importance of the work in Newport News.

“These ships are critical to U.S. defense in the Indo-Pacific,” they said. “We must ensure that these ships are protected from any malicious actors seeking to threaten U.S. national security or our military personnel.”

Related: Amphibious ship suffers breakdown, marking at least Navy’s third mechanical problem this year

The story continues