The newly commissioned USS Santa Barbara has already seen better days.
The Navy’s 418-foot littoral combat vessel experienced serious maintenance issues that plagued it in the weeks before it arrived earlier this month in a Singapore port, according to an undated government contracting document reviewed by The Washington Sun.
“All four engines are currently operating well beyond their maximum recommended operational thresholds, presenting an immediate, critical threat of mechanical failure,” the document states.
Maintenance on the two main propulsion diesel engines and two of the diesel generators that power the ship was “urgently required to prevent catastrophic engine failure, preserve vessel operational readiness, and ensure crew safety,” the contracting document states. The need for critical repairs on the ship comes as the Navy is strained by operational issues stemming from the Iran war, such as the USS Abraham Lincoln’s overextended deployment.
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A Navy spokesperson referred questions to the 7th Fleet.
In a statement to The Sun, 7th Fleet Deputy Public Affairs Officer Cody Milam said: “We can confirm that the USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32) safely arrived in Singapore for a repair availability to address required maintenance. Forward-deployed maintenance is standard practice, and upon completion of these repairs, the ship will continue supporting fleet and combatant commander tasking in the region.”
The Navy commissioned the USS Santa Barbara — ship motto: “Resilient and Determined” — in 2023. The ship deployed from San Diego in early 2025. It spent time in the Persian Gulf last year and is now on deployment with the 7th Fleet in the Indo-Pacific.
Last month, it took part in a seven day joint exercise with the Royal Australian Navy and Philippine Navy in the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone. The exercise was a success, but not all was well with the ship.
The USS Santa Barbara was already slated for routine maintenance at the Sembawang Wharves port in Singapore starting Sept. 4, but the Navy struggled to find contractors who could carry out additional fixes needed aboard the vessel, documents show.
A routine maintenance contract was awarded to Epsilon Systems Solutions Inc. on Aug. 6, and the company was awarded the additional engine maintenance as a “logical follow-on” to its existing contract.
But when the Navy put out a call in August to a dozen of its contractors for a separate slate of needed repairs, it received zero bids, leaving the government to rely on local Singaporean facilities that have standing agreements with the Navy.
The additional ship repairs include the replacement of two of the ship’s service diesel generators’ raw water cooling pumps and a separate fire pump, the “non-operational” status of which “severely compromises shipboard firefighting capability.”
The ship also needed a new stern tube seal.
“Failure to execute this replacement before underway operations invites catastrophic flooding risks,” one of the documents reads.
The selected local contractor was not disclosed in the Navy documents, which show the limited-source contract was justified under a federal statute allowing “unusual and compelling urgency.”
Last week, the Navy relied on the USS Canberra, another littoral combat vessel that launched alongside the USS Santa Barbara, for an exercise with the Republic of Singapore Navy in the South China Sea.
Littoral combat ships are a relatively new kind of Navy warship, smaller than a destroyer and designed to operate near shorelines.
“Preparing our ships and crews is a full team effort,” Milam’s statement continued. “By working with partners across government and industry, we ensure our warships remain ready to support security and stability throughout the Indo-Pacific.”
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