Photo caption: PHILIPPINE SEA (June 4, 2024) Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) conducts a replenishment-at-sea with Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) in the Philippine Sea, June 4, 2024. USS Ralph Johnson was built at Ingalls Shipbuilding, while USS Ronald Reagan was built at Newport News Shipbuilding. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jamaal Liddell)
June 7, 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.
AUKUS: HII Makes Two Key Appointments In Australia: MarineLog reported on June 4th that HII has appointed Tim Brown and Terry Nichols to key leadership positions in Australia as part of its Mission Technologies division. These appointments are crucial for advancing the goals of the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) trilateral partnership. Brown, with a background in Australia’s nuclear powered submarine fleetand Nichols, leveraging his extensive defense industry experience, will oversee operations under AUKUS Pillar 2, which includes advanced cyber and electronic warfare capabilities. HII’s Michael Lempke emphasized the significance of this move, stating, “Their leadership will be crucial as we strengthen alliances, enhance capabilities, and drive innovation in partnership with the Australian Defence Force.” This strategic expansion is pivotal for HII’s role in enhancing global security and technological advancement under the AUKUS framework.
Inside The Navy’s Slick Effort To Find Workers To Build Submarines: Defense One reported on Wednesday about the U.S. Navy’s innovative recruitment campaign for submarine construction workers. The BuildSubmarines.com initiative, led by BlueForge Alliance, is designed to fill a critical workforce gap in the submarine industrial base, seeking over 100,000 skilled workers. Chris Kastner, CEO of HII, noted that “there was already a challenge in the manufacturing workforce, and we were going to have to ramp labor to meet the demand. COVID accelerated that.” The campaign’s strategies include extensive advertising, training programs, and incentives to attract and retain workers for submarine manufacturing, addressing both current shortages and long-term needs.
House Defense Bill Limits Virginia-Class Submarine Funding To One For FY25: Defense News reported on June 4th that the House’s proposed defense spending bill for FY25 only includes funding for the one Virginia-Class attack submarine, contrary to previous years when two submarines were funded. This decision aligns with the Navy’s request due to production delays and industrial base constraints. House defense appropriations chairman Ken Calvert emphasized the need to rebuild the industrial base to meet future submarine production goals. Despite bipartisan lobbying to fund two submarines, the appropriations bill allocates $3.6 billion for one Virginia-Class submarine and $3.7 billion for advance procurement, which may not suffice to sustain the supply chain. The move has sparked criticism from lawmakers like Rep. Joe Courtney who argue it neglects supply chain companies and fails to meet strategic military needs.
MSU Partners With Ingalls Shipbuilding On Innovative Heat Safety Technologies: Mississippi State University’s Athlete Engineering Institute is partnering with HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division to build a new wearable prototype device to aid shipbuilders in the mitigation of heat injuries. The project is funded by AccelerateMS and its MS-Ships program, which supports the state’s shipbuilding industry. MSU reported the unique program on their website this week. Reuben Burch, MSU associate vice president for research and director of the Athlete Engineering Institute, said this partnership is a great example of the ways new technology can be deployed to enhance workplace productivity and safety. As longer-term studies continue, MSU has worked with Ingalls to quickly implement CoolMitt devices, which cool individuals by circulating water at the ideal temperature in a specialized glove that, when worn, can pull heat from the body and rapidly cool the body’s core. “Shipbuilding has a lot of unique challenges, whether those are high temperatures, changing conditions throughout the production timeline, or managing personal protective equipment,” Burch said. “Ingalls has been a great partner in this effort as we look to maximize both the performance and safety of the industrial athletes that are carrying out critical work on behalf of our country.” Alexis Moran, environmental engineer at Ingalls, said, “Safety is a top priority for our shipbuilders, and we are grateful for the work our partners at MSU are doing to assist us in our efforts to enhance the well-being of our team.” The project also is supported by MSU’s Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems-Extension in Canton, which works to address manufacturing challenges across the state. Additionally, MSU is partnering with NextFlex, a flexible hybrid electronics consortium, on development of the CoolMitt wearable technology prototype. “We are always excited to collaborate with cutting-edge organizations, like Mississippi State and Ingalls, who are spearheading innovative initiatives to improve heat safety in the workplace,” said Craig Gile, CoolMitt president.
Social Media Highlight Of The Week 
Posted Thursday to HII’s Facebook page: “HII CEO Chris Kastner recently toured our state-of-the-art unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) engineering and production facility in Pocasset, Massachusetts, with Duane Fotheringham, president of unmanned systems for HII. Joined by HII CFO Tom Stiehle, the visit underscored HII’s dedication to leveraging the existing commercially developed REMUS UUV for rapid development and deployment by defense, commercial, and scientific research customers. Our Pocasset facility, part of HII’s #MissionTechnologies division, stands at the cutting edge of UUV technology. The Unmanned team currently manufactures small REMUS UUVs for the U.S. Navy’s Lionfish program and several large REMUS 620s for delivery to U.S. allies and NOAA. In a recent groundbreaking demonstration of our capabilities, a REMUS UUV successfully completed the first end-to-end launch and recovery from a Virginia-class submarine, which is also built by HII. This achievement showcases our commitment to enhancing the capabilities of legacy platforms through innovative technology.” |
HII’s Weekly News Digest is produced by HII’s Corporate Communications team and posted to Homeport every Friday.
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