HII Taps Chewning to Lead Maritime Systems and Corporate Strategy
HII (NYSE: HII) has appointed Eric Chewning as executive vice president of maritime systems and corporate strategy, expanding his role to lead the company's maritime and advanced technology development strategy. Since joining in January 2023, Chewning has focused on expanding the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base through strategic initiatives.
Key achievements in 2025 include: doubling outsourced hours with plans to quadruple over two years, acquiring an advanced manufacturing facility in South Carolina, expanding international partnerships with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Babcock International Group, and enhancing technology partnerships with C3 AI to implement Industry 4.0 technologies in shipbuilding.
HII (NYSE: HII) ha nominato Eric Chewning vicepresidente esecutivo per i sistemi marittimi e la strategia aziendale, ampliando il suo incarico per guidare la strategia di sviluppo marittimo e delle tecnologie avanzate dell’azienda. Dal suo ingresso nel gennaio 2023, Chewning si è concentrato sull’ampliamento della base industriale cantieristica statunitense tramite iniziative strategiche.
I risultati chiave del 2025 includono: raddoppio delle ore esternalizzate con l’obiettivo di quadruplicarle entro due anni, l’acquisizione di un impianto di produzione avanzata in South Carolina, l’espansione delle partnership internazionali con HD Hyundai Heavy Industries e Babcock International Group, e il rafforzamento delle collaborazioni tecnologiche con C3 AI per implementare tecnologie dell’Industria 4.0 nella costruzione navale.
HII (NYSE: HII) ha designado a Eric Chewning como vicepresidente ejecutivo de sistemas marítimos y estrategia corporativa, ampliando su papel para liderar la estrategia de desarrollo marítimo y de tecnologías avanzadas de la compañía. Desde su incorporación en enero de 2023, Chewning se ha centrado en ampliar la base industrial de construcción naval de EE. UU. mediante iniciativas estratégicas.
Logros clave en 2025 incluyen: duplicar las horas subcontratadas con planes de cuadruplicarlas en dos años, la adquisición de una instalación avanzada de fabricación en Carolina del Sur, la expansión de alianzas internacionales con HD Hyundai Heavy Industries y Babcock International Group, y el fortalecimiento de asociaciones tecnológicas con C3 AI para implementar tecnologías de la Industria 4.0 en la construcción naval.
HII (NYSE: HII)는 Eric Chewning을 해양시스템 및 기업전략 담당 최고부사장으로 임명해 회사의 해양 및 첨단기술 개발 전략을 이끌도록 역할을 확대했습니다. Chewning은 2023년 1월 합류한 이후 전략적 이니셔티브를 통해 미국 조선 산업 기반 확대에 주력해 왔습니다.
2025년 주요 성과로는 외주 시간 두 배 증가 및 향후 2년 내 네 배로 늘릴 계획, 사우스캐롤라이나의 첨단 제조 시설 인수, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries와 Babcock International Group과의 국제적 파트너십 확대, 그리고 조선 분야에 산업 4.0 기술을 도입하기 위한 C3 AI와의 기술 협력 강화가 포함됩니다.
HII (NYSE: HII) a nommé Eric Chewning vice‑président exécutif des systèmes maritimes et de la stratégie d’entreprise, élargissant ainsi son rôle pour diriger la stratégie de développement maritime et des technologies avancées du groupe. Depuis son arrivée en janvier 2023, Chewning s’est attaché à étendre la base industrielle de construction navale aux États‑Unis par des initiatives stratégiques.
Principales réalisations en 2025 : doublement des heures externalisées avec l’objectif de les quadrupler en deux ans, acquisition d’une unité de fabrication avancée en Caroline du Sud, renforcement des partenariats internationaux avec HD Hyundai Heavy Industries et Babcock International Group, et consolidation des partenariats technologiques avec C3 AI pour déployer des technologies de l’industrie 4.0 dans la construction navale.
HII (NYSE: HII) hat Eric Chewning zum Executive Vice President für maritime Systeme und Unternehmensstrategie ernannt und damit seine Rolle erweitert, die maritime sowie die Entwicklung fortschrittlicher Technologien des Unternehmens zu leiten. Seit seinem Eintritt im Januar 2023 konzentriert sich Chewning auf die Erweiterung der US-Schiffbauindustrie durch strategische Initiativen.
Wesentliche Erfolge 2025 umfassen: die Verdoppelung der ausgelagerten Stunden mit dem Ziel, diese innerhalb von zwei Jahren zu vervierfachen, den Erwerb einer modernen Fertigungsanlage in South Carolina, den Ausbau internationaler Partnerschaften mit HD Hyundai Heavy Industries und Babcock International Group sowie die Intensivierung technologischer Partnerschaften mit C3 AI zur Implementierung von Industrie‑4.0‑Technologien im Schiffbau.
- Strategic expansion through acquisition of advanced manufacturing facility in South Carolina
- On track to double outsourced hours in 2025 and quadruple over two years
- Formation of key international partnerships with HD Hyundai and Babcock International
- Technology partnership with C3 AI to implement AI and Industry 4.0 solutions
- None.
Insights
HII's strategic reorganization under Chewning enhances naval production capacity through outsourcing, acquisitions, and international partnerships to meet critical defense demands.
The appointment of Eric Chewning to lead both maritime systems and corporate strategy signals HII's intensified focus on expanding production capacity beyond traditional shipyard constraints. This strategic shift addresses the urgent naval shipbuilding bottlenecks that have plagued the defense industrial base for years.
The operational metrics revealed are particularly notable: HII is doubling outsourced hours this year and projects to quadruple them over two years. This distributed manufacturing approach fundamentally transforms HII's production model from a shipyard-centric approach to a network-based system leveraging multiple facilities across states.
The acquisition of South Carolina manufacturing facilities for Newport News Shipbuilding's Charleston Operations represents a significant capacity expansion for submarine modules and carrier structural units—addressing critical production constraints in two vital naval programs.
The international partnerships with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Babcock International are particularly strategic given the AUKUS submarine initiative. By incorporating Australian and UK suppliers into HII's supply chain, the company is positioning itself as the primary industrial architect of this geopolitically significant program while distributing manufacturing risk.
The C3 AI partnership signals HII's commitment to Industry 4.0 technologies that could meaningfully accelerate production cycles—a critical capability as naval procurement budgets face increasing pressure to deliver more vessels with constrained resources.
ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HII (NYSE: HII) has named Eric Chewning to a new position, executive vice president of maritime systems and corporate strategy, broadening his responsibilities to lead the company’s strategy around maritime and advanced technology development. Chewning’s expanded role advances HII’s years-long strategy to bolster U.S. maritime supremacy by strengthening shipbuilding, and fielding new multi-domain warfighting capabilities.
Since joining HII in January 2023, and with experience including leading industrial base policy for the U.S. Department of Defense, Chewning has spearheaded efforts to expand the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base through acquisition, expansion of domestic and international partnerships, and leveraging advanced technologies in support of the U.S. Navy’s future fleet.
“HII is firmly committed to increasing shipbuilding throughput for the U.S. Navy. We are doing that both by improving performance within our shipyards and expanding the industrial base,” said Chris Kastner, HII president and CEO. “Eric’s unique experience and skill sets continue to support our mission of delivering the capabilities our defense customers urgently need.”
A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://hii.com/news/hii-taps-chewning-to-lead-maritime-systems-and-corporate-strategy/.
While division shipyard presidents retain responsibility for shipyard operations including program execution, Chewning works alongside them in leading the company’s strategy for future maritime capabilities and fleet architecture, including development of hybrid manned-unmanned teaming strategies; identifying outsourcing partners to accelerate throughput; driving business pursuits for new maritime capabilities; managing enterprise strategic partnerships; and overseeing enterprise strategy, and the Dark Sea Labs advanced technology group.
Among the areas of progress in 2025 toward increased throughput:
- HII is on track to more than double the number of outsourced hours this year with partners in multiple states, and to quadruple them over a two-year period. This outsourcing builds industrial base capacity, increases HII throughput, and improves adherence to U.S. Navy schedules.
- HII acquired an advanced manufacturing facility and assets in South Carolina, establishing Newport News Shipbuilding’s Charleston Operations to accelerate production of submarine modules and structural aircraft carrier units.
- HII expanded its network of strategic international partnerships including South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and British defense company Babcock International Group. H&B Defense, a HII-Babcock International joint venture, is accelerating the development of Australia’s sovereign capability for a conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine program. This includes incorporation of Australian and U.K. companies into the HII supply chain to strengthen the resiliency of the allied maritime industrial base.
- HII expanded domestic technology partnerships including with C3 AI, to accelerate deployment of Industry 4.0 technologies and apply artificial intelligence to accelerate shipbuilding production.
About HII
HII is a global, all-domain defense provider. HII’s mission is to deliver the world’s most powerful ships and all-domain solutions in service of the nation, creating the advantage for our customers to protect peace and freedom around the world.
As the nation’s largest military shipbuilder, and with a more than 135-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities extending from ships to unmanned systems, cyber, ISR, AI/ML and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HII’s workforce is 44,000 strong. For more information, visit:
- HII on the web: https://www.HII.com/
- HII on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamHII
- HII on X: https://www.twitter.com/WeAreHII
- HII on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/WeAreHII
Contact:
Danny Hernandez
Danny.J.Hernandez@hii-co.com
(202) 264-7143
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f9f45f59-8964-40da-a9e6-985f4e6ca386
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