Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has secured a $56m contract from the US Navy to provide shipbuilding engineering and design services in support of the AUKUS partnership between Australia, the UK, and the US.
The agreement supports ongoing trilateral efforts to advance nuclear-powered submarine capabilities for the UK and Australia. Should the contract option be exercised, its total value could rise to $91m.
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The Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division will lead the work, which is scheduled to continue through September 2027, and potentially until September 2028 if the option is activated.
According to the US Department of War, 88% of the work will be delivered from NNS, Virginia, with 12% conducted at various foreign sites.
Under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) framework, NNS will assist the UK and Australia with technology integration, engineering, supply chain, workforce development, and digital transformation.
The agreement also includes support for the United States Industry Support (USIS) component of the programme, with NNS engineers and designers aiding in the design of the SSN-AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine to be produced by the UK and Australia.
NNS programme management vice president Bryan Caccavale said: “Our longstanding nuclear experience at NNS directly benefits the AUKUS mission to support shared security objectives. We are honoured to leverage that experience and contribute even more to the AUKUS partnership.”
The contract represents the latest in a string of AUKUS-related initiatives involving HII. The company’s Mission Technologies division in Australia was previously awarded the Australian Submarine Supplier Qualification (AUSSQ) programme to accelerate the qualification of Australian suppliers for inclusion in the United States submarine industrial base.
Further, HII is collaborating with Australian industry and academic partners to help train the skilled workforce required for Australia’s emerging nuclear-powered submarine sector.
This initiative aims to educate engineers, maritime specialists, and nuclear tradespeople for roles throughout the enterprise’s lifecycle.
Additionally, the company was selected in December 2025 to deliver Nuclear Capability Advisory Services (ANCAS) for the Australian Submarine Agency, providing management and technical assistance for Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine development.
