March 25, 2026
“[I]n shipbuilding, you need ten thousand tasks done once. This is why physical AI is a game-changer. We are finally at the point where we think the economics of shipbuilding will be unlocked by AI and other automated tools.”
HII Executive Vice President of Maritime Systems and Corporate Strategy
In a new interview published by War on the Rocks, HII Executive Vice President of Maritime Systems and Corporate Strategy Eric Chewning offers a behind-the-scenes look at how innovation, partnerships, artificial intelligence, robotics, and workforce investment are reshaping the U.S. Navy’s shipbuilding industrial base. He also explains how American naval shipbuilding is rapidly transforming and how HII is helping lead that charge.
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.
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