Photo caption: USS Nimitz (CVN 68) Sailors man the rails on the flight deck while pulling into port. Nimitz, flagship of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 11, returns to its homeport of Bremerton following nine months operating in the U.S. 3rd, 5th and 7th Fleet areas of operations. An integral part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. 3rd Fleet leads naval forces in the Indo-Pacific and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary to execute the U.S. Navy’s role across the full spectrum of military operations.
Dec. 19, 2025
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.
Ingalls Named Lead Shipyard On US Navy Small Surface Combatant Design: USNI News reported on Friday that HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division is expected to receive a sole-source contract to build an updated version of the U.S. Navy’s Constellation-class frigate. The 4,000-ton design, previously used by the Coast Guard for its Legend-class national security cutter program, will now be the basis for the FF(X) program. The ship will include accommodations for about 140 sailors and includes few design changes from the NSC program, save for a new vertical launch system within the dimensions of a 40-foot shipping container. The Navy is developing more containerized packages that can be swapped from ship to ship. In a video posted Friday to social media, Navy Secretary John Phelan said he wants the first frigate hull “in the water” in 2028. “A proven American-built ship, it has been protecting U.S. interests at home and abroad,” Phelan said of the Ingalls-designed ship. The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that the frigate is the first in a series of new warships that will make up President Donald Trump’s envisioned “Golden Fleet.” The new frigate will be a key piece of that fleet, tasked with protecting larger vessels and sea lanes from threats like enemy aircraft and surface ships.
$901 Billion Defense Authorization Bill Clears Congress: Politico reported on Thursday that President Donald Trump has signed a $901 billion defense authorization bill for fiscal year 2026 that passed both the House and Senate earlier this week. Breaking Defense reported on Wednesday that the National Defense Authorization Act includes $26 billion for shipbuilding as well as language to accelerate the acquisition process. USNI News reported on Monday that the bill provides the Navy flexibility in how it buys the next two aircraft carriers and five ballistic missile submarines. The bill allows the service to purchase the next two aircraft carriers in “one or more contracts,” leaving a potential block buy option on the table. For the submarines, the Navy could ink a contract to buy the five Columbia-class boats during FY 2026.
NNS Contributes To Year-End Virginia-Class Submarine Program Boost: MarineLink reported on Tuesday that HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding reached a key construction milestone on Virginia-class submarine Oklahoma (SSN 802). The boat’s hull sections have been joined creating a single, watertight unit. Oklahoma is the 29th Virginia-class fast attack submarine and the first of the Block V boats. The submarine is sponsored by Mary “Molly” Slavonic, an Oklahoma native with longstanding ties to the Navy. Meanwhile, USNI News reported on Tuesday that the Navy accepted delivery of Idaho (SSN 799) from General Dynamics Electric Boat. Idaho is the 26th Virginia-class submarine built under the long-standing teaming arrangement between Electric Boat and NNS. It is the second Virginia-class boat delivered this year. NNS previously delivered Massachusetts (SSN 798) to the Navy in November. Idaho’s delivery comes as the submarine industrial base works to increase production capacity to meet Navy and AUKUS requirements.
USS Nimitz (CVN 68) Returns to Homeport Ahead Of Carrier’s Retirement: USNI News reported on Tuesday aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) returned this week to Bremerton, Washington, concluding what is expected to be its final deployment after nearly nine months at sea. Commissioned in 1975, the Navy’s oldest active aircraft carrier deployed in March and operated across the Indo-Pacific, Middle East and U.S. Central Command areas of responsibility. During the deployment, the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group supported deterrence missions and operations with allies and partners across three fleet areas, according to the Navy. Rear Adm. Fred Goldhammer, commander of the Carrier Strike Group 11, said the strike group traveled more than two-thirds of the globe while sustaining “credible deterrence alongside our allies and partners.” Sailors completed more than 8,500 sorties, logged 17,000 flight hours and sailed more than 82,000 nautical miles during the deployment. Navy Times reported on Wednesday the carrier is scheduled to return to Naval Station Norfolk in 2026 for decommissioning, marking the end of a 50-year service life. The retirement milestone reinforces the Navy’s planned transition from legacy Nimitz-class carriers to newer Ford-class aircraft carriers as part of its long-term force structure.
| Social Media Highlight Of The Week
Posted Friday. Dec. 12, on Ingalls Shipbuilding’s LinkedIn page:
“HII’s #IngallsShipbuilding division hosted its annual Holiday Giving Event Thursday at the company’s Maritime Training Academy. The event kicked off with shipbuilders delivering hundreds of toys, clothes, and food donations to benefit families across the Gulf Coast. Our shipbuilders demonstrate tremendous generosity every year, and this this year donations supported four local organizations, including Salvation Army Angel Tree, Gulf Coast Center for Nonviolence, Toys for Tots and Back Bay Mission. As Mississippi’s largest manufacturing employer, Ingalls reinforces its year-round commitment to strengthening Gulf Coast communities through partnerships that aid youth, families, veterans, and individuals in need.” |
Trump Administration Fast Tracks New Nuclear Technologies: NPR reported on Wednesday that billions of dollars in capital are currently flowing into companies chasing new kinds of nuclear technologies that will help meet the growing demand for electricity in the United States. President Donald Trump’s administration is planning to fast-track construction of new reactor designs built by private firms. Bloomberg reported on Sunday that new artificial intelligence data centers and the reshoring of American manufacturing is expected to drive exponential demand for power. Rather than feeding that demand with large gigawatt nuclear facilities, companies are now eyeing small modular reactors that can produce around 300 megawatts and be built in locations where demand is high. While no small modular reactors are now operating in the U.S., their use will become important as the demand for electricity is expected to outpace the rate of supply by as early as 2028. Roll Call reported on Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Energy wants to build nuclear-powered artificial intelligence data centers on federal land using new public-private partnerships. The department said in July that its Idaho National Laboratory, Oak Ridge Reservation, Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant and Savannah River Site would house the co-location projects. Idaho National Laboratory plans to announce this month which nuclear power and AI companies will participate in the project on that site.
HII’s Weekly News Digest is produced by HII’s Corporate Communications team and posted to Homeport every Friday. The digest will take a break during the upcoming holidays and return again on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.
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