On January 22, 2026, HII celebrated the first anniversary of its Newport News Shipbuilding Charleston Operations facility in Goose Creek, SC. Since acquiring the 45-acre site in January 2025, the company has ramped up production across more than 480,000 square feet of covered manufacturing space with both barge and rail access. The Charleston team delivered its first module just 40 days after acquisition and exceeded its 2025 unit targets, supporting attack submarine and aircraft carrier programs. HII now partners with 23 additional shipyards and fabricators nationwide and is exploring further international joint ventures and a possible new U.S. shipyard to meet growing Navy requirements.

HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division completed builder’s sea trials for USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) on January 21, 2026, following an extensive modernization that began in August 2023. The overhaul integrated the Navy’s first Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic weapon system, replaced twin 155mm gun mounts with missile tubes, and upgraded propulsion and stealth features. Undocked in December 2024, Zumwalt successfully performed propulsion, combat system and weapons integration tests. Sister ships Lyndon B. Johnson and Michael Monsoor are in line for CPS integration at Pascagoula, underscoring HII’s role in advancing next-generation surface combatants.

In late 2025, the Department of Defense included HII on a shortlist of firms competing for an estimated $25 billion multi-year surface combatant construction contract. This program aims to expand U.S. Navy destroyer and frigate capacity over the next decade. HII’s track record—highlighted by Charleston throughput gains and Zumwalt-class modernization—positions the company as a leading contender. Awarding this contract could add an average of $2–3 billion in annual shipbuilding revenue and support thousands of new jobs across HII’s five shipyards.