NEWPORT NEWS, Va., (May 27, 2025) — HII (NYSE: HII) hosted members of the United Kingdom House of Commons Defence Committee at its Newport News Shipbuilding division last week.

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.

“The Committee were delighted to visit the HII yard and see the skill and endeavour on display,” said Tan Dhesi, chairman of House of Commons Defence Committee. “The AUKUS agreement is a vital tool for the strategic advantage of all three countries and the Committee is pleased to support it with our recently launched inquiry, ensuring it achieves its maximum potential.”

Defence Committee members met with company leadership and saw facilities that support construction of Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines. Additionally, they participated in a tour of the Newport News Shipbuilding Apprentice School that focused on HII’s workforce development expertise.

“We greatly appreciate the Defence Committee’s engagement and the opportunity to showcase how HII’s decades of expertise directly support AUKUS objectives,” said Michael Lempke, president of the HII Mission Technologies division Global Security group and the leader of HII’s Australia and U.K. operations. “From building nuclear-powered submarines to fortifying industrial capacity across the U.S., U.K. and Australia, our efforts are closely aligned with the trilateral vision. These discussions are vital to strengthening the collaboration and driving the innovation that underpins AUKUS.”

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 is one of only two shipyards capable of designing and building nuclear-powered submarines for the U.S. Navy. HII is the founding member of the AUKUS Workforce Alliance (AWA), a dedicated partnership committed to preparing a skilled workforce in support of all steps of Australia’s optimal pathway to sovereign nuclear-powered submarines. The company was awarded a contract for the Australian Submarine Supplier Qualification (AUSSQ) pilot program to accelerate the identification and qualification of Australian suppliers and products into the United States submarine industrial base.