HII Taps Chewning to Lead Maritime Systems and Corporate Strategy

ARLINGTON, Va., (Aug. 28, 2025) — HII (NYSE: HII) has named Eric Chewning to a new position, executive vice president of maritime systems and corporate strategy, broadening his responsibilities to lead the company’s strategy around maritime and advanced technology development. Chewning’s expanded role advances HII’s years-long strategy to bolster U.S. maritime supremacy by strengthening shipbuilding, and fielding new multi-domain warfighting capabilities.

Since joining HII in January 2023, and with experience including leading industrial base policy for the U.S. Department of Defense, Chewning has spearheaded efforts to expand the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base through acquisition, expansion of domestic and international partnerships, and leveraging advanced technologies in support of the U.S. Navy’s future fleet.

“HII is firmly committed to increasing shipbuilding throughput for the U.S. Navy. We are doing that both by improving performance within our shipyards and expanding the industrial base,” said Chris Kastner, HII president and CEO. “Eric’s unique experience and skill sets continue to support our mission of delivering the capabilities our defense customers urgently need.”

While division shipyard presidents retain responsibility for shipyard operations including program execution, Chewning works alongside them in leading the company’s strategy for future maritime capabilities and fleet architecture, including development of hybrid manned-unmanned teaming strategies; identifying outsourcing partners to accelerate throughput; driving business pursuits for new maritime capabilities; managing enterprise strategic partnerships; and overseeing enterprise strategy, and the Dark Sea Labs advanced technology group.

Among the areas of progress in 2025 toward increased throughput:

• HII is on track to more than double the number of outsourced hours this year with partners in multiple states, and to quadruple them over a two-year period. This outsourcing builds industrial base capacity, increases HII throughput, and improves adherence to U.S. Navy schedules.


• HII acquired an advanced manufacturing facility and assets in South Carolina, establishing Newport News Shipbuilding’s Charleston Operations to accelerate production of submarine modules and structural aircraft carrier units.


• HII expanded its network of strategic international partnerships including South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and British defense company Babcock International Group. H&B Defense, a HII-Babcock International joint venture, is accelerating the development of Australia’s sovereign capability for a conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine program. This includes incorporation of Australian and U.K. companies into the HII supply chain to strengthen the resiliency of the allied maritime industrial base.


• HII expanded domestic technology partnerships including with C3 AI, to accelerate deployment of Industry 4.0 technologies and apply artificial intelligence to accelerate shipbuilding production.