HII hosted John Phelan, the secretary of the Navy along with chief of Naval operations Adm. Daryl Caudle and commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Eric Smith at Ingalls Shipbuilding Division Wednesday. The senior leaders toured the shipyard, gained insights into HII’s workforce initiatives and discussed Ingalls’ role in delivering the U.S. Navy’s “Golden Fleet” of advanced surface combatants.
“Ingalls Shipbuilding represents the ingenuity and commitment required to meet the Navy’s current and future needs. The shipbuilders I met today are on the front lines of American strength—men and women whose hard work protects our national security, underwrites our liberty, and sustains the way of life we are sworn to defend. There is no maritime dominance without their skill, innovation, and relentless commitment to excellence.” said John C. Phelan, 79th Secretary of the Navy.
“We want to thank Secretary Phelan and Department of Navy leadership for visiting with our shipbuilders who are proud to support America’s efforts to maintain maritime supremacy,” said Chris Kastner, HII’s president and CEO. “Across our shipyards we recognize the U.S. Navy’s urgent need for ships. HII has worked diligently in partnership with our customer to expand our capacity to deliver on this increased and urgent demand, by investing in our yards, establishing partnerships, increasing our hiring retention, and increasing shipbuilder proficiency to support performance.”
Ingalls Shipbuilding is actively supporting early engineering and design discussions for the Navy’s next Battleship, which is part of the broader “Golden Fleet” effort to modernize and leverage state-of-the-art capabilities. Concurrently, Ingalls Shipbuilding was selected to design and construct the Navy’s future Small Surface Combatant (SSC) platform, leveraging the proven design of the Legend-class National Security Cutter.
The decisive combat power our Navy needs doesn’t start at sea—it starts right here, on the deck plates, with the welders, engineers, planners, and tradesmen who show up every day to build America’s Navy,” said Caudle. “What shipbuilders do matters and our Sailors depend on it. We’re working with shipyard leaders and industry partners to bring the President's vision for our Golden Fleet to life and what it will take to make that vision real.”
During the visit, Secretary Phelan, Adm. Caudle and Gen. Smith met with HII and Ingalls leadership to discuss current shipbuilding programs and observed the advanced manufacturing technologies that are being utilized in the shipyard to increase shipbuilding throughput. The leaders also spent time aboard America-class amphibious assault ship Bougainville (LHA 8), currently under construction, and the recently delivered Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Ted Stevens (DDG 128).
The Navy and Marine Corps visit highlighted HII’s commitment to aligning its engineering expertise, manufacturing capabilities, and workforce proficiency with the Navy’s long-term operational needs.
“The work being done here is vital to our national interest,” said Gen. Smith. “These workers should be proud to know they are directly contributing to America’s Naval Expeditionary Force. These ships will project American power across the globe, with Marines aboard ready to respond to any crisis or conflict.”
HII has invested more than $1 billion in infrastructure, facilities, and advanced toolsets at Ingalls Shipbuilding to prepare for the delivery of next-generation capabilities. These investments have enhanced every facet of production, ensuring the shipyard is ready to meet the demands of upcoming programs such as the Battleship Class and SSC, while continuing to deliver destroyers and amphibious assault ships.
Ingalls Shipbuilding was recently featured on Fox News, where our skilled workforce and critical role in supporting national defense were highlighted during a segment with Bret Baier. Two of our very own shipbuilders, Willie Thompson and OL Walley, shared what it truly means to build ships for the Navy and our nation.
Willie and OL spoke about the pride that comes from seeing years of hard work come together as a finished ship and the deep sense of purpose behind protecting the warfighter and keeping freedom alive around the world.
“It gives you a real sense of pride to know that you are the leading edge of the industry and providing security to our nation and protecting the warfighter.” - Willie Thompson
Thank you to Willie, OL, and all our shipbuilders who do what is right for the warfighter every day.
The segment was filmed during a recent visit to Ingalls Shipbuilding that hosted the Secretary of the Navy John Phelan and the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Darryl Caudle and Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Eric M. Smith.
