Why can a newly built warship suffer leaking or degraded seals?
Short answerConstruction delays can weather seals long before launch, so their actual remaining life is shorter than the design assumption.
NotesA seal can be correctly fitted and initially sound while the ship is still under construction. Its real environment begins aging it before launch. If the build overruns the assumed schedule, weathering consumes part of the component's service life before immersion. The nominal replacement interval then overstates how much useful life remains. Early leakage can therefore arise from construction delay and material aging without proving that the original installation was defective.