Photo caption: Photo caption: Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125), moored at Naval Base San Diego (NBSD), Aug. 28, 2026. Jack H. Lucas was built by HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division and commissioned by the U.S. Navy in 2023. (U.S. Navy photo by Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Launching and Recovery Equipment) Airman Ethan Oase)
You can now also find the Weekly News Digest on SharePoint.
Sept. 4, 2026
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.
Foreign Shipyards May Enter Frigate Competition: USNI News reported on Tuesday that the White House and U.S. Navy are considering frigate designs from South Korea, Japan and Turkey for a new class of warships. An international warship competition could include building up to two of the ships in foreign shipyards before transitioning to domestic yards. While the move is part of the administration’s push to rapidly expand the fleet, it also would break with more than a century of U.S. domestic naval construction. Potentially buying frigates abroad follows an August White House memo that opened the door for the Pentagon to consider foreign designs by invoking a “national security interest” waiver to bypass a U.S. law prohibiting foreign-built warships from entering naval service. Meanwhile, HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division has started preproduction work for the first FFX frigate but has not been awarded a contract. The Ingalls frigate is based on a hull used for the U.S. Coast Guard’s national security cutter. The international designs being considered include the export version of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ FFM Mogami-class guided-missile frigate and the Chungnam-class guided-missile frigate built by a variety of South Korean shipbuilders.
Hung Cao Nominated As Navy Secretary: The Hill reported on Tuesday that President Donald Trump plans to nominate Hung Cao to serve as Navy secretary after the former secretary stepped down in April. Cao, who currently serves as the acting Navy secretary, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1996 and served as an explosive ordnance disposal and diving officer. USNI News reported on Tuesday that Cao retired from the Navy as a captain. After retiring, Cao ran unsuccessfully for both the House and Senate in Virginia as a Republican. Cao has been vocal about his support for sailor quality of life initiatives and has prioritized shipbuilding during his time in office. Cao will still need to be confirmed by the Senate.
Congress Approves Continuing Resolution Through Dec. 11: Inside Defense reported Tuesday that the House has passed a stopgap funding bill to keep the government open through Dec. 11. The temporary funding measure that is heading to the president’s desk includes funds to support ongoing shipbuilding. The lower chamber voted 370-48 to approve the continuing resolution, which was first proposed and passed by the Senate in early August. Under a continuing resolution, the Pentagon is funded at the prior year’s spending level and the department is barred from initiating new start programs or executing production rate increases. Defense Daily reported on Tuesday that the newly passed temporary funding legislation does include provisions allowing the Navy to obligate additional dollars “necessary to fund prior year shipbuilding cost increases” for a range of shipbuilding programs, including $1.2 billion for the Virginia-class and Columbia-class submarine efforts, as well as up to $2.9 billion to support “operations necessary” for undisclosed “National Security Systems.” The measure, however, does not include several high-profile anomalies, such as $1 billion in advance procurement for the new Trump-class battleship or to buy long-lead-time materials to support building the fifth Ford-class aircraft carrier.
Navy Performs Mideast Aircraft Carrier Swap: The New York Times reported on Wednesday that USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) and its supporting ships have docked in Thailand so sailors can enjoy shore leave after more than nine months at sea. Lincoln had been supporting Navy efforts in the Middle East after leaving its homeport in November 2025. The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Lincoln played a key role in the U.S. bombing against Iran and participated in President Donald Trump’s continuing blockade of Iranian ports. It spent more than 200 days in a combat zone and launched more than 10,000 sorties. Lincoln was recently replaced by USS George Washington (CVN 73), which arrived in the Central Command area on Aug. 19. Stars and Stripes reported that the George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) Carrier Strike Group and the Boxer (LHD 4) Amphibious Ready Group are also operating in the CENTCOM region. As for Lincoln, it is scheduled to return to its San Diego homeport beginning early next week.
| Social Media Highlight Of The Week
Posted Sept. 1 to HII’s LinkedIn page: “It’s almost time for football!🏈⚓ HII is thrilled to share that we’re sponsoring The Naval Academy Athletic Association Midshipmen’s home game against the Towson Tigers on Saturday, September 5 at 3:30 p.m. EST. Join us at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland, as we cheer on our team and celebrate their excellence and dedication on and off the field. If you can’t be there in person, you can still watch on TV or listen on the radio. We’ll be giving away cool swag like temporary tattoos of HII-built ships, so be sure to stop by one of our tables to score some!” |
HII’s Weekly News Digest is produced by HII’s Corporate Communications team and posted to MyHII every Friday.
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