Navy Halts USS Miami Repairs

The USS Miami, which was set afire while it was in dry dock in the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard last May, will not be repaired said Navy officials Tuesday.

According to a report in the Washington Post, more damage was discovered and the cost to repair the Groton based nuclear sub would exceed $450 million.

Rear Adm. Rick Breckenridge, director of undersea warfare, told reporters at the Post that the expense would put a halt to work on dozens of other ships.

Patch reported earlier that the ship was set fire by a Portsmouth Naval Shipyard employee Casey James Fury, 23, of Portsmouth N.H. after a fight with his girlfriend. Seven people were injured in the May 23 fire and Fury was sentenced to 17 years in prison.

The Navy initially announced that it would repair the submarine however now Maine and New Hampshire representatives are saying that budget cuts due to sequestration are what halted the repairs. Navy officials say that, if repaired, the 23-year-old submarine could serve another 10 years of service.

Click here to read the full report in the Washington Post.

Click here to read the full report in the Portsmouth Patch