HII Marks Arkansas (SSN 800) Construction Milestone at Newport News Shipbuilding

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., (Sept. 27, 2023) — HII shared today (NYSE: HII) that its Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division has reached a significant milestone in the construction of Virginia-class submarine Arkansas (SSN 800).

Arkansas (SSN 800) is now “pressure hull complete,” meaning that all of the hull sections were joined to form a single, watertight unit.

“It’s exciting to reach pressure hull complete, because it’s a visible sign that construction has progressed to the point where Arkansas really starts to take its final shape,” said Jason Ward, NNS vice president of Virginia-class submarine construction. “We absolutely understand the important mission ahead for Arkansas and are working with urgency to get this powerful national security asset to the Navy as soon as possible.”

NNS is one of only two shipyards capable of designing and building nuclear-powered submarines. The advanced capabilities of Virginia-class submarines increase firepower, maneuverability and stealth.

This milestone comes following the christening of Massachusetts (SSN 798) and keel authentication of Oklahoma (SSN 802) at NNS so far in 2023.

Arkansas is the Navy’s 27^th Virginia-class fast attack submarine. The ship’s sponsors are the six women of the historic group known as the Little Rock Nine, the first African American students to attend all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, during desegregation. NNS honored all nine members, including the three men, during the November 2022 keel authentication ceremony.

Arkansas Ssn 800 In The Mof For Pressure Hull Complete — Virginia-class submarine Arkansas (SSN 800) is now pressure hull complete at HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division. The construction milestone signifies that all of the submarine’s hull sections have been joined to form a single, watertight unit. (Photo by Ashley Cowan/HII)

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About HII

HII is a global, all-domain defense provider. HII’s mission is to deliver the world’s most powerful ships and all-domain solutions in service of the nation, creating the advantage for our customers to protect peace and freedom around the world.

As the nation’s largest military shipbuilder, and with a more than 135-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities extending from ships to unmanned systems, cyber, ISR, AI/ML and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HII’s workforce is 43,000 strong. For more information, visit: