June 22, 2015
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (June 22, 2015) -- Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (NYSE:HII) Newport News Shipbuilding division broke ground today for the shipyard’s new Joint Manufacturing Assembly Facility (JMAF), which will support the construction of aircraft carriers and submarines.
The first phases of the facility, opening in 2017, will feature production bays to improve construction efficiencies under current contracts for the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier and Virginia-class submarine programs.
“We aren’t just breaking ground on a new facility, we’re breaking the mold on how we build aircraft carriers and submarines,” said Newport News Shipbuilding President Matt Mulherin, explaining how the JMAF will bring work indoors, providing better quality of life for shipbuilders. “The improvements will increase productivity and efficiency, all while driving down overall cost and ensuring schedule performance.”
The facility will feature multiple worksites, advanced technology, automated equipment, heavyweight cranes, large transportation doors and specialty paint bays. The facility will support current and future production work on aircraft carriers and submarines.
“I’m excited about the addition of the Joint Manufacturing Assembly Facility,” said Newport News Vice Mayor Robert S. Coleman. “This facility will allow us to retain significant high-paying jobs in Newport News in the future and will allow future generations to know that the greatest ships the world has ever known were built right here in Newport News.”
HII is America’s largest shipbuilder, delivering the world’s most powerful ships and all-domain mission technologies, including unmanned systems, to U.S. and allied defense customers. HII is the largest producer of unmanned underwater vehicles for the U.S. Navy and the world.
With a more than 140-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII builds and integrates defense capabilities extending from the core fleet to C6ISR, AI/ML, EW and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HII’s workforce is 44,000 strong.
Sign Up for Updates
Enter your email to receive news updates and insights.
By subscribing you agree to our Privacy Policy and provide consent to receive updates from HII.