hii com

September 18, 2025

HII.com: The Quiet Giant Powering America's Defense Machine

You won’t see HII splashed across headlines like Silicon Valley startups. But behind the scenes, they build the massive machines that make U.S. military dominance possible—aircraft carriers, nuclear subs, and now, AI-powered defense tech.

HII Isn't Just a Shipbuilder Anymore

Most people still associate HII (Huntington Ingalls Industries) with steel—battleships, aircraft carriers, submarines. That makes sense. They’re the only U.S. company licensed to build and refuel nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. But locking them into a "shipbuilder" box misses the bigger story.

HII’s business splits into three powerhouse divisions:

Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia: Handles nuclear carriers and subs, including the Gerald R. Ford–class carrier and the Columbia-class subs.
Ingalls Shipbuilding in Mississippi: Focuses on surface combatants like Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and amphibious assault ships.
Mission Technologies: Where HII gets future-proof. Think AI, cybersecurity, unmanned underwater vehicles, and ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance).

Mission Technologies alone brings in nearly $3 billion annually and is growing fast. That shift from pure shipbuilding to "all-domain" defense is what makes HII impossible to ignore in today’s security environment.

Think Military Tech? Think HII Contracts

HII isn’t guessing its way into the future. It’s landing contracts that shape modern warfare.

Here’s what that looks like:

$3 billion LOGIX contract with the Department of Defense to support next-gen logistics, ISR, and systems integration. This isn’t maintenance work—it’s architecting the backbone of JADC2, the Pentagon’s vision for linking all military branches across air, land, sea, space, and cyber.
750+ REMUS unmanned underwater vehicles delivered—think of these as underwater drones used for minesweeping, surveillance, or reconnaissance in places too risky for human divers.
$458 million IT modernization deal to rebuild DoD architecture. That’s not just backend support; it’s reengineering how the Pentagon handles data, security, and decision-making speed.

All of this stacks on top of the shipbuilding contracts—like the multi-billion dollar Virginia- and Columbia-class submarine programs—that already make HII a juggernaut.

Their Footprint Is Massive—But So Are Their Challenges

HII has 44,000+ employees, mostly skilled tradespeople. Think welders, nuclear engineers, cyber analysts, AI developers. It’s one of the largest industrial employers in Virginia and Mississippi.

But they’re in a tight spot when it comes to labor.

Skilled labor shortages—especially in welding and pipefitting—have delayed some major naval builds. In Q4 2024, HII missed Wall Street expectations partly because of schedule slips tied to staffing gaps. And it’s not just a recruitment problem. Training someone to weld for nuclear submarines takes years.

Supply chain snags also slowed production. Building an aircraft carrier isn’t like assembling a car. One missing valve or outdated software module can halt progress for weeks. And when you’re juggling parts across hundreds of suppliers, delays are inevitable.

Still, HII is owning up to the problems. CEO Chris Kastner has been blunt about recalibrating expectations and rebalancing growth between high-margin tech services and slower, more volatile shipyard builds.

The Financial Picture: Big Numbers, Big Bets

In 2024, HII pulled in $11.5 billion in revenue. Shipbuilding still makes up around 75% of that. But Mission Technologies is catching up fast.

Analysts project:

Shipbuilding revenue between $8.9B–$9.1B
Tech division revenue between $2.9B–$3.1B

Margins on the tech side are stronger and more predictable than on steel. That’s why HII is leaning in. The shipyard delays may hurt quarterly performance, but the tech side keeps growing—and that’s exactly where the U.S. military wants to spend.

Why This Matters Right Now

The U.S. is pivoting hard toward a high-tech, distributed-force military—focused on drones, data, and domain awareness across oceans and cyberspace.

And this isn’t abstract.

Tensions in the South China Sea and Taiwan have driven demand for submarines and undersea surveillance.
NATO allies want modular and unmanned naval assets.
AI in defense is no longer optional; it’s embedded in targeting systems, logistics, and battlefield communications.

HII is positioned right in the middle of all that. Its shipbuilding muscle makes it indispensable. Its tech division future-proofs it.

In a world that’s rapidly rearming and digitizing warfare, HII’s mix of legacy capabilities and modern systems makes it one of the most strategically important defense firms on the planet.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly does HII build?

Aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, destroyers, Coast Guard cutters, amphibious assault ships—and increasingly, high-tech solutions like cyber defense tools and unmanned underwater vehicles.

How many people work at HII?

Over 44,000 employees across the U.S., with major hubs in Virginia and Mississippi.

Is HII public?

Yes. It trades on the NYSE under the ticker HII.

What’s the biggest threat to HII’s growth?

Labor shortages, supply chain issues, and potential delays or changes in Navy contract awards. However, their move into tech services is helping offset volatility.

What makes HII different from other defense contractors?

They’re the only company in the U.S. that can build and refuel nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. Combine that with growing capabilities in AI, cyber, and unmanned systems—and they cover both legacy and future defense needs.

Final Thought

HII isn’t chasing trends. It’s building the backbone of 21st-century defense. If you're watching where military tech is headed, don’t overlook the company welding steel one day and building autonomous drones the next.