Photo caption: Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) renders honors to the USS Roosevelt (DDG 80), Oct. 16, 2025. Both destroyers were built at HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joseph Macklin)

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Oct. 31, 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.

Shipbuilding Strengths Help Power HII’s Third Quarter Earnings: Defense Daily reported on Thursday that HII posted strong third quarter results on ample top and bottom-line performance at its shipbuilding divisions combined with a solid contribution from the company’s Mission Technologies division. During the quarter, net income jumped 44% to $145 million and shipbuilding sales increased 18% year over year. The sales forecast at Mission Technologies was also increased by $100 million on the low-end of the range to a new outlook of $3 billion to $3.1 billion. Inside Defense reported Thursday that the ongoing government shutdown and subsequent federal worker furloughs have not affected negotiations for impending Block VI Virginia-class submarines and Columbia-class contracts, HII President and CEO Chris Kastner told the call’s participants. Kastner also highlighted areas of improvement during the quarter, including increased wages and reduced attrition at the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding division.

General Dynamics Provides Columbia Class Update During Third Quarter Earnings Call: The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, Oct. 24, that General Dynamics posted higher third quarter revenue and profit, driven by increased orders for business jets. The company’s sales rose 11% to $12.91 billion from the previous quarter, beating Wall Street’s expectation of $12.5 billion. USNI News reported on Oct. 24, that General Dynamics has completed about 60% of nuclear ballistic missile submarine District of Columbia (SSBN 826). Major modules are due to arrive at General Dynamics Electric Boat by the end of the year, helping the company advance the first-in-class submarine. The production rate on both the Virginia- and Columbia-class submarine lines is improving due to Navy’s and industry’s focus on enhancing the submarine industrial supply chain, CEO Phebe Novakovic told analysts on the call. Last year, the Navy estimated that District of Columbia would be delivered in fiscal year 2028, a year later than initially planned. Once delivered to the Navy, the boat is set to go on its first nuclear deterrent patrol in fiscal year 2030, relieving Ohio-class ballistic nuclear submarine USS Henry Jackson (SSBN 730).

HII Strengthens Partnership With Korean Shipbuilder: Reuters reported on Sunday that HII and South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries have signed a memorandum that will explore joint investments in building new shipyards or acquiring existing ship construction facilities in the United States. The agreement was signed in Gyeongju, South Korea, ahead of where Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) events took place throughout the week. Breaking Defense reported on Tuesday that earlier this month, the companies agreed to jointly pursue the design contract for the U.S. Navy’s next-generation logistics ship program. That ship is envisioned to be a smaller vessel relative to current platforms and be able to refuel, rearm and resupply the fleet in contested and non-contested environments. The service is planning to buy 13 new logistics ships beginning in fiscal year 2028 and recently received $100 million in advance procurement funding, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Ingalls Completes Second Round Of DDG 128 Sea Trials: The Defense Post reported on Monday that HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division has successfully completed the second round of sea trials for Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer Ted Stevens (DDG 128), completing a key step toward the ship’s delivery. The announcement comes after the ship completed its first round of sea trials in September. Marine Link reported on Saturday that during the multi-day assessment, HII and military crews evaluated the vessel’s engines, navigation and weapons systems to ensure full readiness for upcoming acceptance trials. Engineers also tested major components such as the new AN/SPY-6 radar and the Aegis Baseline 10 combat system, both designed to improve how the ship detects and responds to threats at sea as part of the Arleigh Burke fleet’s Flight III configuration. Executive Biz reported on Tuesday that as a Flight III destroyer, Ted Stevens is designed as one of the Navy’s next-generation surface combatant vessels.

USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) Relocates To Southern Command: Fox News reported on Tuesday that the Pentagon has ordered USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) to the Caribbean to support operations in U.S. Southern Command. The U.S. has conducted more than a dozen strikes against alleged drug boats in the region in recent weeks. The Associated Press reported on Wednesday that moving USS Gerald R. Ford and its strike group to the Caribbean leaves Europe and the Middle East without a carrier presence. Regardless, the new orders illustrate the Trump administration’s increasing focus on the Western Hemisphere and mark a major escalation of firepower as the U.S. military ramps up fatal strikes on alleged drug boats. The Ford strike group, which includes five destroyers, will add to an unusually large U.S. military buildup in the waters off Venezuela. The Navy already has eight warships in the region, including three destroyers, three amphibious assault ships, a cruiser and a smaller littoral combat ship that’s designed for coastal waters. It was not clear if all five of the destroyers in the Ford strike group will make the journey.

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

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