Read below about how the director of the Defense Innovation unit cited HII’s ability to build the REMUS unmanned undersea vehicle at scale as an example of a successful partnership with the commercial sector.

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March 8, 2024

HII’s Weekly News Digest is compiled every Friday by the Corporate Communications team to summarize and highlight news stories of significance to the company.

Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29) Successful In Acceptance Trials: USNI News reported on Monday that HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding has finished acceptance trials for San Antonio-class amphibious assault ship Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29). During acceptance trials, Ingalls employees spent several days with the U.S. Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey running the ship at full power and through steering maneuvers. Ingalls will now complete final finish work ahead of delivery which is expected to take place in the next few weeks. Naval Today reported on Wednesday that LPD 29 is the final Flight I transition ship before Ingalls moves into serial production of the LPD Flight II line.

Navy, Virginia Could Invest $440 Million In Newport News: WHRO reported on Thursday, Feb. 29 that the U.S. Navy could invest as much as $400 million to build new housing in downtown Newport News, Virginia, for sailors assigned to ships undergoing maintenance at HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division. The Daily Press reported on Monday that the state will need to also spend an additional $40 million toward the project to unlock the federal money. Virginia State Del. Marcia S. “Cia” Price introduced the $40 million budget amendment that was adopted as part of the state House of Delegates’ budget. Last year, the Navy began undertaking a massive effort to improve sailors’ quality of life, including providing more options for off-base housing. Price, along with Newport News city officials, said the effort could also help revitalize the city’s downtown.

CNO Franchetti Reaffirms 31 Amphib Goal During Ingalls Visit: Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti noted the importance of maintaining a fleet of 31 amphibious ships during a March 4 tour of HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division. Franchetti was joined at Ingalls by Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Christopher J. Mahoney as well as Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Rep. Jerry Carl, R-Ala. The group toured San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29) and America-class amphibious assault ship Bougainville (LHA 8). The group also viewed progress on Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer Ted Stevens (DDG 128) and guided-missile destroyer USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000). USS Zumwalt arrived at Ingalls last year for a two-year modernization period, part of which includes installing hypersonic missile tubes.

DIU Head Cites HII’s REMUS As Successful Industry Collaboration: National Defense reported on Tuesday that Doug Beck, director of the Defense Innovation Unit, told participants during the National Defense Industrial Association’s Pacific Operational Science and Technology Conference that he’s optimistic about the progress DIU is making with the commercial sector. Specifically, he cited HII’s ability to build the REMUS 300 small unmanned undersea vehicle at scale for the Navy’s Lionfish program. HII announced in October that was awarded a contract to build nine small unmanned undersea vehicles for the U.S. Navy’s Lionfish System program. The contract has the potential to grow to as many as 200 vehicles over the next five years with a total value of more than $347 million. Beck said the project showcased the DIU’s ability to move quickly to fill a critical gap with a traditional partner in a non-traditional way.

CNO Supports Foreign Investment In Shipbuilding: USNI News reported on Thursday that Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro is encouraging foreign investment in U.S. commercial and naval shipbuilding. Del Toro toured shipyards in the Western Pacific last week and is encouraging more investment from Japanese and South Korean shipbuilders. During the McAleese Defense Programs Conference, Del Toro said the U.S. must “explore any and all opportunities to expand our own shipbuilding capability through competition, through innovation, and industrial capacity.” Inside Defense reported Thursday that Del Toro noted that smaller U.S. shipyards are either struggling or have gone dormant and could benefit from international investment. Marine Insight reported on Friday that Rahm Emanuel, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, stated that Del Toro’s Pacific visit last week primarily served two main goals: to examine repairs made to fleet replenishment oiler USNS Big Horn, and to assess whether the Japanese firm would be keen on making investments in a closed U.S. shipyard. Emanuel said Del Toro gauged whether the Japanese and Korean shipyard officials would be interested in investing in and reopening shipbuilding facilities – including a yard in Philadelphia and a shuttered Navy shipyard in Long Beach, California – so they could build Navy, commercial and Coast Guard vessels.

HII’s Weekly News Digest is produced by HII’s Corporate Communications team and posted to Homeport every Friday.

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