Caption: NORTH SEA (Nov. 17, 2024) The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Stout (DDG 55), left, the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), center, and the Italian Navy Carlo Bergamini-class frigate Carabiniere (F 593) transit the Strait of Dover, Nov. 17. USS Harry S. Truman, the flagship of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG), is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations supporting U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa to defend U.S., Allied and partner interests. 

Download the pdf

Nov. 22, 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.

NNS Completes Enterprise (CVN 80) Dry Dock Move: Newsweek reported on Thursday that HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division has transferred the mid-body hull section of the third Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, Enterprise (CVN 80) within the division’s largest dry dock. NNS flooded the dry dock and floated the Enterprise hull section for the first time, allowing it to be transferred from the east end of the dry dock to the west end, where shipbuilders will continue construction. Meanwhile, Doris Miller (CVN 81) will begin its assembly at the east end of the same dry dock early next year. The Maritime Executive reported on Wednesday that assembly of Enterprise has been underway for 26 months since the ceremonial keel laying in August 2022. Janes reported on Wednesday that NNS used 160 million gallons of water from the James River to flood Dry Dock 12, which is the largest construction dry dock of its type in the Western hemisphere.

Lawmakers Deciding Best Path To Fund Federal Government: Politico reported on Monday that there are two streams of thought permeating through Congress about the approaching Dec. 20 deadline to fund the federal government. First, many Republican appropriators and other GOP lawmakers want to wrap up spending negotiations before year’s end, to update funding for the Pentagon and other federal agencies, as well as avoid an extra distraction next year as they work to enact policy that defines their first 100 days in control of Congress and the White House. On the other hand, Speaker Mike Johnson recently said that it may be advantageous for Republicans to pass another continuing resolution that extends the funding deadline into President-elect Donald Trump’s second term. Doing so could save the speaker from potential backlash as he prepares for a January vote to keep his gavel. Meanwhile, Stars and Stripes reported on Tuesday that state governors are urging Congress to swiftly pass an annual defense policy bill that includes a measure that all 55 governors agreed is important to preserve the state control of the National Guard. The 2025 National Defense Authorization Act includes a one-time transfer of 14 Air National Guard units into the Space Force but retains a governor’s ability to nix any transfers and makes moving of units optional.

Navy Seeks More Frigate Design & Construction Sources: Defense Daily reported on Tuesday that the Navy is seeking more sources able to support Constellation-class frigate design and follow-on construction amid significant delays in the program’s schedule. The FFG-62 Constellation-class frigate program office (PMS 515) is conducting market research to identify “potential ship construction sources that possess the capability to accomplish future program requirements,” according to a Nov. 15 request for information. The office is specifically looking to find qualified U.S. surface combatant shipbuilders that can be sources for future design or follow-on construction of the frigates. Fincantieri Marinette Marine won the original frigate contract in April 2020 for up to 10 ships. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro’s 45-day shipbuilding review conducted earlier this year found the lead frigate is running three years late. The Navy has also previously indicated it is interested in adding a second shipbuilder to the program to increase production rates.

Navy Urges Suppliers To Embrace Additive Manufacturing: Breaking Defense reported on Tuesday that the Navy is pushing the submarine industrial base to embrace additive manufacturing because the service needs quality parts faster. Rear Adm. Jonathan Rucker, the PEO-SSN, told suppliers during last week’s Naval Submarine League conference that the Navy is working to reverse engineer some parts where the current lead time is too long from companies. Up until this year, the Navy had only installed two 3D-printed metal parts on its submarines, said Vice Adm. Robert Gaucher, commander of Naval Submarine Forces. But this year, he told the conference, they quadrupled that to eight — and when USS Michigan (SSGN 727) comes in for overhaul next year, the service plans to use as many as 33 parts.

Marine Corps Commandant Visits Ingalls: Magnolia Tribune reported on Wednesday that HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division hosted four-star Gen. Eric Smith, the 39th commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps and member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for an official visit to the shipyard that day. During his visit, Smith met with Ingalls leadership and toured shipyard facilities as well as amphibious warships under construction, Bougainville (LHA 8) and Harrisburg (LPD 30). WXXV reported on Wednesday that the visit was Smith’s first since the Navy announced the $9.6 billion amphibious multi-ship procurement contract with Ingalls. Roughly half of Ingalls shipbuilders build amphibious ships with suppliers located all across the nation that also help with each ship’s construction.

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

Please note: Social media is blocked on HII computers for most employees. Employees are encouraged to visit HII’s Facebook page and other social media sites on personal time and from non-work devices.

Send feedback to: HII_Communications@hii-co.com.