Nearly 200 Mission Technologies leaders gathered at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center on June 9 for DefenseTech LIVE Employee Day, HII’s internal preview of the two-day technology showcase opening to customers and partners the following morning.

The event aligned teams in advance of key engagements and highlighted Mission Technologies’ growing portfolio in artificial intelligence, cyber, electromagnetic warfare, unmanned systems, and related areas.

The venue was transformed into an immersive environment that resembled a high‑tech museum and art installation. Low lighting, wall‑spanning digital screens, holograms, interactive displays and live models created a space where the technology was central and impossible to ignore.

“You are the heart of our brand”

“Incredible what we can do at HII,” Jaime Orlando, senior vice president of communications, said in her opening remarks, noting the role employees play in representing the company’s mission and culture. “You are the heart of our brand,” she said. “You reflect our culture and our face to the public. You are the brand ambassadors for HII. We are one. We are united.”

Raising the Bar

Mission Technologies President Andy Green highlighted a shift toward a product‑ and solutions‑based portfolio. “All the technologies in here we’re integrating across air, land, sea and cyber,” he said. “This shift will allow us to get the warfighter advantage at the edge—at the speed of relevance.”

Across the floor, exhibits demonstrated interoperable platforms, scalable autonomy, and open architectures aimed at delivering increased flexibility for customers.

HII President and CEO Chris Kastner joined the session to recognize the workforce. “To think this group started with a $2 million acquisition of a piece of the Columbia Group down in Panama City, and where we are today, over a $3 billion company,” Kastner said. “Our customers are surprised as heck that we’re competing with them at this level. And I expect to win.”

The Central Message: Speed Matters

If one idea dominated the day, it was the importance of mission acceleration.

Chief Growth Officer Chris Bishop emphasized the growing importance of rapid capability delivery. “The test today is: Did we deliver the right capability fast enough to matter?” he said. “Speed used to be nice to have. Now it is a competitive advantage. We don’t want to simply play the game faster—we need to change the game.”

Autonomy and Integration

The unmanned systems exhibit featured REMUS underwater vehicles, ROMULUS surface platforms and a holographic Sea Launcher.

“When we put enabling technologies together with autonomous systems, we create something truly unique for our warfighter,” said Duane Fotheringham, president of the Unmanned Systems group. “When you combine that with what the rest of HII builds in the core fleet, we are truly, as HII, a sea power company.”

AI and Directed Energy

“AI is transforming everything we do,” Chief Technology Officer John Bell said. “It is foundationally changing the way we work and what we can deliver.”

He also underscored the role of mission engineering and open architecture in ensuring system compatibility.

The Leviathan AI team showed how the platform can operate fully at the edge, a capability few competitors offer.

The directed energy demonstration drew strong interest. “For 20 years, high‑energy lasers were always five years out,” said Josh Peters, who leads the effort. “Lasers are no longer an idea. They are actually being used.” Peters noted that several systems are already deployed and engaging threats.

“Great Ideas Come from You”

Green closed with a reminder that the real power behind HII’s transformation is its people. “Great ideas don’t come from me,” Green said. “They come from all of you.”

The message was consistent throughout the day, HII is moving faster, working smarter and aiming higher—together.

As Bishop put it, the company’s direction can be captured in a single line: “Move faster. Think bolder. Own the mission.”