On January 5, 2026, HII hosted Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at its Newport News Shipbuilding division as part of the “Arsenal of Freedom” industry tour. During the visit, Hegseth met with shipyard leadership, shipbuilders and sailors aboard the John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) carrier under final outfitting and test. In remarks to the workforce, he emphasized the direct link between craftsmen’s precision work and the operational readiness of a 22-year-old sailor in the Pacific, underscoring how quality, speed and patriotism translate into decisive combat advantage.

HII CEO Chris Kastner highlighted significant year-over-year progress in hiring, retention and workforce proficiency, resulting in a measurable increase in shipbuilding throughput. With more than 40 vessels—across Columbia- and Virginia-class submarines, aircraft carriers and surface combatants—currently in active construction or modernization at Newport News Shipbuilding and Ingalls Shipbuilding, the company reported a reduction in average module-assembly cycle times of 12% over the past 12 months. Initiatives such as a shift to a standard 56-hour work week in 2025 and the adoption of serial module production techniques have contributed directly to schedule compression and faster delivery of capability to the U.S. Navy.

To meet rising demand, HII launched a distributed shipbuilding initiative engaging 23 non-traditional shipyards and fabricators outside its core labor markets, improving schedule adherence by an estimated 8%. The company is also evaluating the establishment of a new domestic shipyard and has forged partnerships with international manufacturers to further expand capacity. At a workforce headcount of 44,000 employees, HII remains Virginia and Mississippi’s largest industrial employer and is the world’s leading producer of unmanned underwater vehicles for the U.S. Navy, positioning it for sustained growth in all-domain maritime solutions.