Photo caption: U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (July 4, 2025) Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) operates in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. HII is the sole designer, builder, and refueler of aircraft carriers for the U.S. Navy. (Official U.S. Navy photo)
July 11, 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.
HII Expands AI Partnership To Boost Shipyard Productivity: Breaking Defense reported on June 30 that HII has entered into a strategic partnership with enterprise software firm C3 ai to expand artificial intelligence use across its shipyards, building on a successful six-month pilot at Ingalls Shipbuilding. The technology will help optimize shop workflows and improve schedule performance to help both Newport News Shipbuilding and Ingalls Shipbuilding in meeting production goals. Executive Biz reported on July 1 that HII and C3 ai plan to integrate the technology in the areas of operations, supply chain and labor allocation. The companies will also explore partnership opportunities in uncrewed vehicle production and sustainment.
Virginia-Class Submarine Arkansas (SSN 800) Launched At NNS: 13NewsNow reported on Wednesday that HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division recently launched the Virginia-class submarine Arkansas (SSN 800) into the James River. The submarine was moved from the construction facility to a floating dry dock before being launched and towed to a nearby pier for final outfitting and testing. Arkansas is the 27th sub in the class and the 13th delivered by NNS. Its sponsors are the six women of the Little Rock Nine, who helped integrate Central High School in 1957.
Proposed House Budget Includes Authority To Purchase Two Carriers, Five SSBNs: Inside Defense reported on Tuesday that the House Armed Services Committee’s draft fiscal year 2026 defense authorization bill allows the Navy secretary to procure as many as two Ford-class aircraft carriers and five more Columbia-class submarines starting in FY 2026. Concerning the carriers, the draft allows the secretary to enter into contracts for advance procurement, advance construction, and material and equipment. This year’s request does not plan to buy any new carriers in FY 2026, though it includes $3.3 billion in incremental funding for Enterprise (CVN 80), Doris Miller (CVN 81) and first year advance procurement funding for William J. Clinton (CVN 82). Meanwhile, USNI News reported on Monday that HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division is now scheduled to deliver John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) to the Navy in March 2027. Inside Defense reported the Navy’s FY 2026 budget request plans to put the third Columbia-class boat, Groton (SSBN-828), on contract in November. The request seeks about $10 billion in FY 2026 funding for the program, with the funds split between the budget request and the supplemental spending package passed by Congress last week.
DIU Seeks UUVs For Various Problems Sets: Defense Daily reported on Wednesday that the Defense Innovation Unit has issued a new solicitation seeking a low-cost uncrewed underwater vehicle that serves several purposes and can operate in various domains. DIU wants the UUV to address two problem sets: The first will “address the need for additional kinetic effects by leveraging existing government provided payloads and integrating them with industry provided platforms.” The second “seeks to address the need for additional capabilities launched out of a submarine torpedo tube and providing critical effects in support of the host platform.” Responses to the Low Cost Undersea Effectors solicitation are due by July 24.
| Social Media Highlight Of The Week
Posted Thursday on Ingalls’ LinkedIn page:
“Our team doesn’t stop at meeting qualifications—we’re problem solvers fueled by purpose. Veterans with real experience in the U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command areas of operation. Engineers and analysts who turn “no” into “we’ll figure it out.” We thrive in complexity because it’s what we’re built for. Meet our team on July 15 at the Ramstein AB Tech Expo in Ramstein, Germany. Learn more about our AFRICOM AOR initiatives here.” |
HII’s Weekly News Digest is produced by HII’s Corporate Communications team and posted to MyHII every Friday.
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