HII has announced that Australian Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy visited the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding Charleston Operations site in South Carolina, where discussions focused on manufacturing capability, shipbuilding capacity and support for the AUKUS trilateral security partnership.
According to HII, the visit included a tour of the production facility and meetings with company leaders to discuss the company’s distributed shipbuilding initiative, which is aimed at increasing shipbuilding throughput to meet growing demand.
The company said production at the Charleston Operations site has increased by more than 50 per cent under HII’s ownership as it expands support for U.S. Navy programs.
“It was a pleasure to tour this facility and see firsthand the capability established here, and the impact it is already having on the U.S. submarine industrial base,” Conroy said.
“I look forward to seeing Australian-made parts coming through this, and other U.S. facilities, demonstrating the strength of the AUKUS partnership and our shared commitment to industrial uplift.”
HII said the Charleston Operations site occupies 45 acres along the Cooper River and includes more than 480,000 square feet of covered manufacturing space. The facility also has barge and rail access, room for expansion, and access to a growing maritime workforce.
“We are honored Minister Conroy chose to invest time with us at HII during his trip to the United States,” said Matt Needy, Newport News Shipbuilding vice president of Charleston Operations.
“We value the opportunity to share best practices from our expanded operations, here in South Carolina, to help accelerate AUKUS momentum.”
HII said it continues to support the AUKUS partnership, including Australia’s pathway to acquiring conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines and broader collaboration on advanced defence capabilities.
The company also highlighted its role in delivering the Australian Submarine Supplier Qualification (AUSSQ) Program, which is designed to identify, develop and qualify Australian suppliers for participation in the U.S. submarine industrial base.
According to HII, the company is working with Australian industry and academic institutions to help develop the workforce needed for Australia’s future nuclear-powered submarine enterprise, including engineers, maritime specialists and skilled tradespeople.
HII said the AUSSQ Program supports Australian small and medium-sized enterprises seeking to join U.S. and U.K. nuclear submarine supply chains across seven work packages linked to the construction and sustainment of Virginia-class submarines and the future SSN-AUKUS platform.
The company said 13 Australian suppliers have been qualified through the program to date, providing a pathway into submarine production and sustainment activities under AUKUS.
