AUKUS: HII Hosts Australian Delegation at Newport News Shipbuilding

HII hosted an Australian delegation led by Richard Marles MP, deputy prime minister and minister for defence, at its Newport News Shipbuilding division Tuesday.

HII press release

The visit was held in support of the trilateral Australia, United Kingdom and United States (AUKUS) partnership. HII continues its commitment to supporting AUKUS, which set in motion tasking across all three countries to determine the optimal pathway to provide Australia with conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines and a broader partnership on advanced capabilities.

“It was fantastic to see the U.S. submarine industrial base on display at Newport News Shipbuilding, including the keel laying ceremony of Barb (SSN 804),” Marles said. “The Australian Government is pleased to be working with HII, including through the Australian Submarine Supplier Qualification (AUSSQ) program to identify and qualify Australian businesses into the U.S. supply chain.”

Members of the delegation met with company leadership, saw facilities that support construction of Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines, the mid-life overhaul of USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), and learned about HII’s workforce development expertise. Additionally, they attended the keel laying ceremony for Virginia-class submarine Barb (SSN 804), which was already scheduled Tuesday at NNS.

“We are honored Deputy Prime Minister Marles and the Australian delegation could see how our longstanding nuclear experience at NNS directly supports the AUKUS mission,” said Eric Chewning, HII’s executive vice president of maritime systems and corporate strategy. “Industrial integration of submarine and shipbuilding capabilities between the U.S., U.K. and Australia is a critical component of the AUKUS partnership, enabling aligned defense production, workforce development, and supply chain collaboration to support shared security objectives.”

NNS designs and builds nuclear-powered submarines for the U.S. Navy. HII’s Mission Technologies Global Security team is working with the Australian Government to bring HII’s nuclear-powered submarine sustainment expertise, supply chain management experience, and long-standing workforce development programs to Australia.

HII is a founding member of the AUKUS Workforce Alliance (AWA), a partnership focused on preparing a skilled workforce to support every stage of Australia’s path to sovereign nuclear-powered submarines. The company was also awarded a contract for the Australian Submarine Supplier Qualification (AUSSQ) pilot program, which aims to speed up the identification and qualification of Australian suppliers and products for the United States submarine industrial base. Several Australian companies have already received Requests for Quotation (RFQ) from NNS for parts for nuclear shipbuilding programs. 

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