Photo caption: U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (April 30, 2025) U.S. Sailors conduct flight operations aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. Carl Vison was build at HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division and marked its 43rd of service to the U.S. Navy in March. (Official U.S. Navy photo)
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May 9, 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 Secures $81 Million Contract For Amphibious Ship Support: ExecutiveBiz reported on Tuesday HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division has been awarded an $81.2 million contract modification to provide planning yard support for multiple classes of U.S. Navy amphibious ships, including LPD 17, LHD 1/LHA 6, LSD 41/49, and LCC 19. The contract highlights Ingalls’ continued role in sustaining the Navy’s amphibious fleet and maintaining critical shipbuilding capabilities at its Pascagoula, Mississippi, facility. Defense Industry Daily reported that additional technical support will be provided in Norfolk, Virginia (24%), with very small portions in San Diego, California, and Sasebo, Japan. The project is expected to be completed by May 2026.
Navy Hypersonic Program Advances With Successful Missile Launch Test: gCaptain reported on Friday the U.S. Navy successfully conducted an end-to-end flight test of the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missile system at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, showcasing a new cold-gas launch method designed to safely eject the missile from ships before first-stage ignition. The CPS system is scheduled for initial deployment aboard the USS ZUMWALT, which recently completed a $2 billion modernization at HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division, replacing its Advanced Gun Systems with missile tubes. Seapower reported Vice Adm. Johnny R. Wolfe Jr., Director of the Navy’s Strategic Systems Program, emphasized the importance of the test, stating, “This technical achievement brings SSP one step closer to fulfilling our role of providing a safe and reliable hypersonic capability to our Navy.” Secretary of the Navy John Phelan added that the CPS program “will deliver unmatched capabilities to our warfighters,” reinforcing the Navy’s focus on hypersonic weapons as a critical component of integrated deterrence.
Defense Budget Debate Heats Up As Trump’s $1 Trillion Promise Faces Congressional Pushback: Politico reported on Friday the White House’s proposed $893 billion defense budget falls short of the $1 trillion previously promised by President Trump, sparking criticism from key congressional Republicans. Defense hawks argue that the budget, which relies heavily on one-time reconciliation funding, fails to account for inflation and weakens military capabilities, especially amid rising threats from China, Russia, and Iran. Meanwhile, House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) and Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) contend that the budget undermines Trump’s “Peace Through Strength” agenda, urging for additional defense allocations to maintain U.S. military dominance. Defense Daily reported that despite the criticism, some lawmakers, including Rep. Adam Smith (D-Walsh.), view the administration’s focus on modernizing military assets as a positive step forward.
Hanwha Ocean Expands U.S. Navy Shipbuilding Presence As Trump Pushes Domestic Naval Capacity: The Hill reported on Thursday that South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean and its expanding of operations in the U.S. shipbuilding sector following its acquisition of Philadelphia Shipyard is aiming to secure more maintenance and repair contracts with the U.S. Navy. The shipbuilder, which has completed two maintenance and overhaul orders for the Navy, is positioning its U.S. facility to handle additional naval projects, despite restrictions on foreign shipyards building Navy vessels due to the Byrnes-Tollefson Amendment reported by Reuters. Hanwha’s acquisition comes amid President Trump’s executive order to bolster U.S. shipbuilding and restore American maritime dominance, with plans that include a White House Shipbuilding Council and the U.S. SHIPS Act. Hanwha is modernizing its shipyard to implement manufacturing processes developed in South Korea, aiming to reduce production times by up to one-third. The Hill also reported that Trump’s initiative may open doors for strategic collaborations between U.S. shipbuilders like HII and South Korean firms to increase shipbuilding capacity and support the Navy’s expansion plans.
| Social Media Highlight Of The Week
Posted Wednesday on HII’s LinkedIn page:
Teamwork makes the dream work, and HII-built ships help make that dream a reality. Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee (hashtag#DDG123), built by Ingalls Shipbuilding, a Division of HII, approaches aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (hashtag#CVN68), built by Newport News Shipbuilding, A Division of HII, for a refueling-at-sea in the Philippine Sea on April 23. CVN 68 is underway in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations on a scheduled deployment. For 250 years, the US Navy has sailed the globe in defense of freedom and protecting prosperity. With a more than 135-year history of advancing U.S. national defense, we’re proud to have two legacy shipyards that provide the most technologically advanced, multi-use ships to the Navy’s fleet, and we look forward to what the next century holds. hashtag#AmericasNavy250 📸: U.S. Navy/MC2 Kantner |
HII’s Weekly News Digest is produced by HII’s Corporate Communications team and posted to Homeport every Friday.
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