Overview
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth opened his month-long, multistate industry tour on Monday with a visit to Newport News Shipbuilding, linking workers’ output to frontline naval capability and stressing that speed matters.
- Hegseth toured Columbia- and Virginia-class submarine production lines and checked progress on the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN 79), meeting with shipbuilders and sailors inside the yard.
- HII detailed ongoing steps to boost throughput, including a distributed shipbuilding initiative with 23 partner yards, new international supplier partnerships, and an evaluation of adding another U.S. shipyard.
- The company said workforce measures in 2025 included modified shifts supporting a 56-hour standard work week, and local officials highlighted training pipelines as the region positions for expanded maritime manufacturing.
- Newport News Shipbuilding, the nation’s largest military shipyard, employs about 26,000 in the region, with local partners planning hiring events and training programs as the tour proceeds to additional industry sites.