NEWPORT NEWS, Va., (Oct. 4, 2024) — HII (NYSE: HII) hosted Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding division Thursday.

“I firmly believe that honing our warfighting skills has primacy in all we do,” Brown said. “It was great to see the hard work of the Navy’s shipbuilding team alongside our defense industry partners ensuring we maintain our edge through the construction of the next Ford-class carrier and Columbia-class submarine. These efforts provide our military with unmatched capabilities, reinforcing our ability to operate effectively across any mission, in any domain, and in any region of the world.”

While at NNS, Brown visited shipbuilders and sailors on John F. Kennedy (CVN 79), saw construction progress on Virginia- and Columbia– class submarine modules, and met with shipyard leadership. Adm. William Houston, director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, and Vice Adm. Jim Downey, commander, Naval Sea Systems Command, accompanied the chairman.

“Our shipbuilders’ commitment to supporting the Department of Defense is unwavering, and we are grateful General Brown invested time to see that for himself,” NNS President Jennifer Boykin said. “The nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines we build and maintain are vital to our national security, and we are proud to deliver these critical capabilities to those who defend our freedoms.”

NNS is the nation’s sole designer, builder and refueler of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and one of only two shipyards capable of designing and building nuclear‐powered submarines.