HII commits to boosting U.S. shipbuilding efforts and expanding maritime industrial base

SANTA CLARITA, Calif., Sept. 04, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- At a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense field hearing, Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) reaffirmed its commitment to boosting the nation’s defense industrial base and accelerating U.S. shipbuilding efforts. Executive Vice President of Maritime Systems and Corporate Strategy, Eric Chewning, spoke before the subcommittee, emphasizing the critical role of a modernized workforce, upgraded shipyard infrastructure, and an expanded maritime industrial base.

"America’s ability to maintain peace and defend our interests hinges on a strong, secure, and ready industrial base," said Chewning. "HII’s mission to deliver the world’s most powerful ships and all-domain solutions is only possible because of our dedicated workforce and the continued support of Congress and the U.S. Navy."

Chewning drew on his experience as former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Policy to highlight past reforms aimed at addressing strategic threats and bolstering resilience. He also shared HII’s strategy to accelerate throughput to meet national security demands. According to his remarks, throughput in HII’s shipyards increased by 14% year-over-year in 2025, with approximately 40 ships in active construction or modernization. For 2026, HII aims to build on this momentum by targeting a 15% year-over-year throughput increase.

HII’s strategy to boost throughput centers on three key areas: hiring, teaching, and retaining a world-class workforce; modernizing shipbuilding infrastructure with capital investments, such as the use of physical AI in shipbuilding; and expanding the maritime industrial base by growing the company’s supply chain and implementing a distributed shipbuilding strategy.

Chewning expressed gratitude to Congress and the Navy for their support, which enabled HII to enter into new shipyard collective bargaining agreements, providing competitive wage increases to maintain a highly skilled workforce. Additionally, HII is planning to strategically outsource more than two million hours of work in 2026, a 178% increase from 2024. This initiative aims to increase HII’s shipbuilding throughput and create jobs in communities across the country, while also giving small- and medium-sized businesses improved confidence to invest in their own capacity and workforce.

The Newport News Shipbuilding Charleston Operations serves as a model for maritime industrial base revitalization. Working closely with the U.S. Navy, the State of South Carolina, and the Department of Defense’s Industrial Base Policy Office, HII transformed an underutilized facility into a growing advanced manufacturing campus supporting the submarine industrial base and expanding skilled trade opportunities.

"This is a powerful example of what can be achieved when industry, the federal government, and state partners work together to strengthen America’s maritime dominance," said Chewning. "We thank the U.S. Navy, Congress, and specifically the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee for their continued support and look forward to working together to ensure America’s maritime superiority for generations to come."

HII, America’s largest shipbuilder, continues to advance U.S. national security by building and integrating defense capabilities, from core fleet to C6ISR, AI/ML, EW, and synthetic training. With a workforce of 45,000, HII is dedicated to delivering the world’s most powerful ships and all-domain mission technologies, including unmanned systems, to U.S. and allied defense customers.