Photo caption: Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) departs Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Oct. 12, 2026. LHD 8 was built by HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division and delivered to the U.S. Navy in 2009. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Seaman Apprentice Jadiel Santoni Martinez)

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Oct. 16, 2026

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 CEO Discusses Hurdles Reverting Carrier Catapults To Steam: Janes reported on Tuesday that switching from the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) back to steam-operated catapults on Doris Miller (CVN 81) would require major design changes and cause significant delays. HII CEO Chris Kastner told Mission Critical podcast host Ryan Robertson that the company would need to confirm the supply chain can support such a shift. “That’s a significant effort. It would delay the ship schedule significantly. There’d be a pretty significant cost related to it that we’d have to figure out with the Navy. You’d have to assess the health of the supply chain, some of which has gone away,” he said. On Aug. 13, President Donald Trump sent a memo to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth directing him to submit plans within 60 days for replacing electric catapult and elevator systems on Ford‑class carriers with steam and hydraulic systems. Navy officials said they are still preparing the plan. Kastner noted that HII and its Newport News Shipbuilding division are ready to support the Navy however they are directed.

HII Wins AUKUS Award: The Defense Post reported on Thursday that HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division received a $56 million U.S. Navy contract for engineering and design work supporting the AUKUS partnership among Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. A contract option could increase the total to $91 million. WorkBoat reported on Thursday that under the Foreign Military Sales portion of the award, NNS will provide technology insertion, engineering, supply chain support, workforce development and digital transformation services for the U.K. and Australia. The work also includes U.S. Industry Support, through which NNS engineers and designers will help develop SSN‑AUKUS, the nuclear-powered submarine to be built by the U.K. and Australia.

Navy Seeks Shipyards Capable Of Building Future SSN(X) Submarine: Defense Daily reported on Monday that the U.S. Navy is conducting market research to identify shipyards capable of serving as prime construction yards for the next‑generation SSN(X) attack submarine. The sources‑sought notice seeks companies prepared to build the follow‑on submarine that will succeed the Virginia class. The Navy plans for SSN(X) to include the newest features of Virginia‑class boats, including the larger missile capacity found on submarines equipped with the Virginia Payload Module. Naval News reported on Oct. 11 that the notice is among the first steps in moving the program from the design stage into manufacturing. Responses were due by Thursday, Oct. 15.

Pentagon Agrees To Fund Second Destroyer In FY 2027 Budget: News Center Maine reported on Monday that the Pentagon will now fund a second destroyer in fiscal 2027. The Arleigh Burke‑class ship will be built at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works. The Pentagon said the yard has made “significant operational and managerial improvements” and that a review of throughput, schedule performance, quality assurance, supply chain resilience and workforce optimization showed a second destroyer is feasible. The decision reverses an earlier request that sought procurement funding for only one destroyer in FY 2027. That ship is being built by HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division. Inside Defense reported Monday that requesting only one destroyer was a break from the usual pattern of buying two or more per year and was intended to ease production backlogs. Lawmakers have not yet passed an FY 2027 appropriations bill and are currently funding the government through a continuing resolution. Roll Call reported Monday that the Senate Appropriations Committee has not released its fiscal 2027 Defense spending proposal.

Hegseth Vows To Attain $1.5 Trillion Topline Using $350 Billion Reconciliation Funds: Defense Daily reported on Wednesday that the Trump administration plans to continue seeking at least $350 billion in defense funds through the reconciliation process, regardless of the midterm election results. Speaking during a panel at the AUSA Meeting and Exhibition in Washington, D.C., Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reaffirmed support for a $1.5 trillion fiscal 2027 defense topline, including the reconciliation funds. The government is currently operating under a continuing resolution because Congress has not passed final appropriations or a negotiated reconciliation bill. Hegseth said Pentagon leaders’ top priority is securing the full $1.5 trillion request. The Hill reported Wednesday that the reconciliation package now also includes about $50 billion for autonomous and robotic systems that would support the Defense Autonomous Working Group, Project Agincourt and the Autonomous Warfare Command.

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

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