Photo caption: Aircraft assigned to the “Blue Knights” of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 365 (Reinforced) operate with the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) in the Atlantic Ocean, Nov. 22, 2024. The Ingalls-built Wasp was on a scheduled deployment to the U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) area of operations as the flagship of the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group (WSP ARG)- 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Special Operations Capable (SOC), in support of U.S. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Ruben Reed)

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Dec. 6, 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.

HII Acquires W International Assets: The Post and Courier reported on Wednesday that HII will acquire substantially all of the assets of W International, a South Carolina metal fabricator, in a deal that is expected to close by the end of December. Matt Needy, current vice president and chief transformation officer for HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division, will become general manager of the site. NNS President Jennifer Boykin said the acquisition will enhance the Goose Creek site’s ability to access support functions such as engineering, quality and planning that exist at NNS. While HII is acquiring W International’s assets, including state-of-the-art equipment and 480,000 square feet of manufacturing space on 45 acres of leased land, it is not acquiring the company itself. Instead, W International will be a separate, unrelated entity retained by founder and CEO Ed Walker, and none of the legal or regulatory matters associated with the company will transfer. The Virginian-Pilot reported on Wednesday that W International specializes in manufacturing shipbuilding structures, modules and assemblies. The 500-person workforce at W International will support the construction of nuclear-powered submarine and aircraft carrier modules and structures for the U.S. Navy. USNI News reported on Wednesday that moving submarine work out of the main shipyards at NNS and General Dynamics Electric Boat is a key effort by the submarine industrial base to increase the production rate to two Virginia-class attack submarines and one ballistic nuclear missile Columbia-class a year. HII currently outsources about a million hours of submarine work outside of Newport News.

Congress Convenes As Dec. 20 Shutdown Deadline Looms: Congress is racing to address the Dec. 20 funding deadline, with lawmakers leaning toward a continuing resolution (CR) that extends into President-elect Donald Trump’s term. Politico reported Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer stated Monday that progress is being made on a bipartisan bill to avert a shutdown. Speaker Mike Johnson faces pressure from conservatives favoring a longer CR to grant the incoming GOP majority control over 2025 spending decisions to include provisions critical to military and federal programs. The first objective for Congress this month is likely to be passage of the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, annual legislation that sets policy for the Defense Department, according to congressional aides. Floor votes could come as early as next week, according to aides reported by Reuters on Monday. Any delays in passing a funding resolution could disrupt government operations, including federal contracts that are essential for HII’s shipbuilding projects.

USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) Destroyer Will Be Fist To Carry Hypersonic Weapons: The Associated Press reported on Saturday, Nov. 30, that HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division is preparing USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) for another round of tests as the shipyard outfits the stealth destroyer with missile tubes that will be used to house hypersonic weapons. Once the system is complete, USS Zumwalt will provide a platform for conducting fast, precision strikes from greater distances, adding to the usefulness of the warship. Once complete, the “Conventional Prompt Strike” system will launch like a ballistic missile and then release a hypersonic glide vehicle that would travel at speeds seven to eight times faster than the speed of sound before hitting the target. Each of the Zumwalt-class destroyers would be equipped with four missile tubes, each with three of the missiles for a total of 12 hypersonic weapons per ship. The Navy wants to begin testing the system aboard USS Zumwalt in 2027 or 2028, according to the service.

 Services Seek Realistic Simulations For Digital Warfare: Defense One reported on Thursday that training models and simulations need to “move beyond the physical domains” to keep pace with global threats, Adm. Christopher Grady, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told participants during the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference. Grady said it is more difficult to simulate space, cyber, electronic spectrum and irregular warfare, although creating and training in those environments is necessary to train warfighters. Simulated environments must also integrate allies and partners so that participants can train together across all domains. Meanwhile, Defense One also reported on Thursday that the Pentagon’s top body in charge of developing military requirements is expected to release new data standards next year that will make it easier for combatant commands and services to conduct large scale exercises in virtual environments. The joint requirements oversight council, or JROC, is currently working on a capstone initial capabilities document, which will outline data standards for simulation and modeling systems the military uses. The document is expected in March, Grady said.

Ingalls Shipbuilding Authenticates Sam Nunn (DDG 133) Keel: The Defense Post reported on Nov. 25 that HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division has laid the keel of the U.S. Navy’s 83rd Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer Sam Nunn (DDG 133). The destroyer is the fifth vessel to receive a Flight III configuration that incorporates next-generation air and missile defense radar as well as a combat system, enabling competitiveness in the face of multiple surface, air, and underwater threats simultaneously. During the ceremony at Ingalls, the initials of the former U.S. senator’s daughter and ship sponsor, Michelle Nunn, were etched into the hull’s future keel plate. Sam Nunn also attended the event.

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

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