HII Targets 15 Percent Throughput Increase To Accelerate US Navy Shipbuilding
Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Executive Vice President of Maritime Systems and Corporate Strategy, Eric Chewning, recently reiterated the company’s dedication to enhancing the nation’s defense industrial base and revitalizing US shipbuilding. This affirmation took place during a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense field hearing at the College of the Canyons. Chewning emphasized the importance of a modernized workforce, upgraded shipyard infrastructure, and an expanded maritime industrial base.
Acceleration of Shipbuilding Throughput
During the hearing, Chewning, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Policy, highlighted previous reforms aimed at addressing strategic threats and enhancing resilience. He also discussed the efforts being made by HII to increase throughput to meet national security requirements.
Chewning revealed that in 2025, there was a 14 percent year-over-year increase in throughput in HII’s shipyards. With around 40 ships currently under construction or modernization at Ingalls and Newport News, the focus for 2026 is on maintaining this momentum. The goal is to achieve a 15 percent year-over-year increase in throughput in 2026.
Strategic Approach to Increase Throughput
HII’s strategy to boost throughput revolves around three key areas: recruitment, education, and retention of a top-tier workforce; modernization of shipbuilding infrastructure through capital investments like the utilization of physical AI in shipbuilding; and expansion of the maritime industrial base by enhancing HII’s supply chain and implementing a distributed shipbuilding strategy.
Chewning expressed gratitude to Congress and the Navy for their support, which enabled HII to establish new shipyard collective bargaining agreements that provided competitive wage hikes to maintain a highly skilled workforce. Additionally, he highlighted ongoing efforts to expand the industrial base, including plans to outsource over two million hours of work in 2026, a significant increase from 2024. This outsourced work is expected to boost HII’s shipbuilding throughput and create job opportunities nationwide.
In conclusion, Chewning commended the progress at HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding Charleston Operations, citing it as a model for maritime industrial base revitalization. He emphasized the importance of collaboration between industry, the federal government, and state partners in strengthening America’s maritime superiority.
