From Naval Air Systems Command, Apr 20, 2026 

NAS PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The CH-53K King Stallion helicopter, under the direction of H-53 Heavy Lift Helicopters Program Office (PMA-261), achieved a major milestone by successfully lifting another CH-53K King Stallion. The test, performed by Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 21 (HX-21), is part of the CH-53K aircraft recovery rigging evaluation and a critical step toward developing new operational capabilities and procedures for the CH-53K fleet. 

“This is a capability we hope will never be needed in the fleet,” said Col. Kate Fleeger, Program Manager, PMA-261. “However, the continued expansion of the aircraft’s capabilities ensures a faster response to emerging requirements and highlights its ability to perform.”    

The primary purpose of the evaluation was to validate the specialized rigging and procedures required to safely recover a downed or disabled CH-53K aircraft, a capability that is not yet standardized in the U.S. Navy’s official salvage manuals. During the test, the team aimed to understand the flight characteristics and load dynamics involved in such a heavy lift, ensuring that the Marine Corps can safely execute a Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel (TRAP) mission in the future. 

“The insights and data gathered from this test will directly inform updates to the Aircraft Salvage Operations manual, providing the fleet with standardized procedures for a dual-point external lift of a CH-53K,” said Fleeger. 

The lifted aircraft was an Engineering Development Model (EDM) used in the King Stallion program early years of test. The three engines, most gearboxes and the tail pylon were removed prior to the lift to reduce weight to approximately 28,000 lbs., still well within the CH-53K’s current external lift envelope of 36,000 lbs. The EDM will continue to serve the program as it will be transferred to Marine Heavy Helicopter Training Squadron 302 (HMHT-302), New River, North Carolina, where it will be used as a Ground Operations Aircrew Trainer, helping to educate and train the next generation of King Stallion aircrew and maintainers. 

This test underscores the remarkable lift capabilities of the CH-53K and highlights the innovative efforts of the CH-53 Test team at HX-21 to continuously evaluate new fleet capabilities. 

PMA-261 manages the cradle to grave procurement, development, support, fielding and disposal of the entire family of H-53 heavy lift helicopters. 

By Richard R. Burgess, Senior Editor 

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy’s requirement to develop a method of launching and — more challenging — recovering autonomous underwater vehicles from torpedo tubes of submarines is being met by L3Harris Technologies (Booth 937), which has been awarded an Other Transaction Authority contract from the Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit to deliver the Torpedo Tube Launch and Recovery (TTLR) system. 

The TTLR has demonstrated its ability to launch and recover Iver4 900 AUVs through attach submarine torpedo tubes.  

“The Torpedo Tube Launch and Recovery system is not a future capability, it’s answering combatant commander needs today,” Nino DiCosmo, president, Maritime, Space & Mission Systems, L3Harris, said in a company release. “Our system is the first to successfully launch and recover AUVs from a submarine, providing commanders flexibility for persistent undersea operations and maintaining essential stealth.” 

The Iver4 900 AUV is payload agnostic, said J.R. Gear, vice president and general manager of Integrated Systems and Encryption for L3Harris, in an interview, noting the system would be capable of missions such as seafloor mapping, counter-mine warfare and other intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance missions.  

“We try to build it with some modular interfaces that you could have one type of mission one day from a submarine and then swap out the sensor and swap out the batteries and [gain] maybe a little bit more range and endurance or whatever and tailor the vehicle for today’s mission,” he said. “Very adaptable.”  

Gear was not at liberty to describe the details of how the AUV swims back into the torpedo tube, citing proprietary restrictions. But he did say the recovery is “completely autonomous.” 

The TTLR includes a sleeve that fits inside the torpedo tube, called a SAFECAP, of Shock and Fire Enclosure, from which the IVER4 900 AUV swims out and is later recovered. Importantly, no structural modifications to the submarine are required.  

“Whether it [the AUV] swims out with the nose out or backs out, it’s payload dependent on how it leaves,” Gear said. “It literally swims away, performs its mission, and then when it returns, it’s kind of a push of a button and it will swim back into that SAFECAP of the torpedo enclosure. We’ve tested this on several different types of submarines, and I think we’re the first also that have done this on both the United States Navy and the Royal Navy.” 

Gear said the “submarine has to operate in an envelope that’s going to be compatible with the UUV. We can’t discuss that here but it’s very friendly to the mission. You put the SAFECAP in [the torpedo tube], the Iver goes in there with the guides, you lock it up and let it go, and it swims on out and does its thing autonomously. And when it’s finished with its mission, it comes back, and with a command, a single command, it will come back into the sub.”  

The SAFECAP sleeve can be removed inside the submarine for the torpedo tube to be used for torpedoes or other payloads. 

“The system delivers the first U.S. Navy submarine- and aviation-approved AUV lithium-ion battery technology, enabling longer-duration missions with hot-swap capability for continuous operations,” L3Harris said in a March 26 release. “TTLR’s interoperability across multiple submarine classes and allied platforms advances the Navy’s manned-unmanned teaming vision and demonstrates AUKUS Pillar 2 collaboration.”  

Gear was not at liberty to discuss the value of the contract award or the quantity of the order. He did say a TTLR shipset includes two AUVs with a sustainment package that includes some payloads and spare parts. The TTLRs are being built at the company’s Fall River, Massachusetts, facility. 

Gear declined to say when deliveries of the TTLR will begin, only, “we’ve been looking forward to this working with the Navy for a little while and ready to go if and when the Navy was ready. And so, they’re ready now. The pump is primed and we’re starting to execute on that contract.”

By Vicky Uhland, Seapower Correspondent 

In a new era of acquisition, it’s important to remember the most pressing operational need for the U.S. Navy is readiness. And the good news is that “today’s fleet is more forward than it’s ever been in my career. We are absolutely ready,” said Rear Admiral Thomas Dickinson during the Monday afternoon panel discussion “Speed to the Fleet.” 

“Readiness in nonnegotiable. Without it you don’t have capability or capacity,” said Dickinson, USN program executive officer for integrated warfare systems. “It might not be as sexy as new capability, but readiness is the king.” 

In a standing-room-only session, Dickinson and panelists from industry and the research community discussed how they can best work together to deliver readiness faster to the fleet, both now and in the future.  

“We’re moving from a just-in-time to a just-in-case mentality,” Dickinson said. “That’s the mentality we need. We cannot be ready enough. Urgency and resilience is really the call.”  

Dickinson said industry partners can help the Navy achieve readiness through detailed, real-time insights and data. In the current warfare environment, “it’s a gift to be able to see how we’re performing and make improvements. Innovation and learning go hand-in-hand.” 

But as the Navy ramps up its readiness, it’s logical there will be more risk, Dickinson said. That’s where data from both the Navy and its partners comes in. “We have to be able to quantify risk, and it has to be based on data,” he said. “We’re getting better at collecting data quickly.”  

Industry Viewpoints 

Panelist Barbara Borgonovi, president of naval power for Raytheon, said one of the main things helping her company aid the Navy in its readiness initiatives is the landmark agreement with the Department of Defense to expand five critical munitions: The AMRAAM missile; the block IB and block IIA variants of the SM-3 interceptor; the SM-6 missile; and the land attack and maritime strike variants of the Tomahawk cruise missile. 

Borgonovi said this multiyear commitment ensures that Raytheon will have consistent demand, which will help the company make investments in suppliers, employees and other sources.  

“We’re going to make billions of dollars in investments” in the five critical munitions, she said, noting that some Raytheon programs are increasing capacity by five to 10 times.  

From the data standpoint, the Navy’s change in focus from activities to outcomes is altering how it interacts with industry, said Vincent Bauer, research program director, data science integration, CNA. 

“The Navy is extremely complex” and its processes can be its biggest bottleneck in working with industry. “Data cuts through that complexity” and helps the Navy become a better customer for industry, he said. 

Panelists also answered questions from audience members and session moderator Megan Eckstein, founder of Maeday Communications, including: 

What challenges does money solve, and what will it not fix? 

The Navy is making generational investments for critical munitions and new entrants, Dickinson said. But “money is unfeeling and unthinking. It doesn’t hire talent; it doesn’t drive outcomes over process. We are on the hook to maximize the use of those taxpayer dollars.”  

The key, he said, is to create a culture and conditions to best spend new acquisitions money. “It comes down to leadership at the end of the day.”  

Borgonovi said threats are going to continue to evolve for weapons systems, so industry needs to stay flexible, including learning from operational use and making investments in data sets.  

“We’ve been given an opportunity that allows us to fill in the lines,” she said “We have a lot of flexibility to get to the outcome we want.”  

What’s good for a production line is stability; what’s good for the fleet is innovation. How do you balance this? 

Borgonovi said Raytheon has seen “incredible engagement” with the Navy on sharing data from Operation Epic Fury. She said her company’s focus is on having the ability and capacity to meet multiple needs for customers, including design scalability and composable designs. 

Dickinson said the Navy wants to be in an environment where software rather than hardware is driving capability. “It puts us in a much better place to be agile and address threats,” he said.  

What does the industrial base need to look like to support the modern wartime environment? 

Borgonovi believes suppliers and the military need to share data across all companies involved, not just a single contractor. 

Bauer noted the defense industry works differently than the consumer industry. “Just-in-time isn’t the kind of production system we need in missions,” he said, as a wartime environment creates the ability for production surges and opens new pathways to invest in the future. 

The Amphibious Warfare Industrial Base Coalition (AWIBC) is a trade coalition of suppliers of systems, components, parts, and services toward the construction and sustainment of the U.S. Navy’s amphibious warfare ships. Recently, Paul Roden, chair of the AWIBC, responded to questions below from Senior Editor Richard R. Burgess.  

Has AWIBC membership increased or decreased over the last year? 

RODEN: The Amphibious Warship Industrial Base Coalition is a robust and growing organization. We continue to see strong interest from suppliers who recognize the importance of a unified voice in advocating for the stability of our nation’s defense industrial base that supports the men and women of our Navy and Marine Corps. 

Is the amphibious warship industrial base in better or worse shape than last year? 

RODEN: We are incredibly grateful for recent funding in support of amphibious warships, including the multi-ship buy for LPD 33, LPD 34 and LPD 35 as well as LHA 10. However, our most recent survey data shows that less than 10% of our suppliers are operating at full capacity due to inconsistent demand signals. As this new funding is placed on contract, it will help rejuvenate production lines and inject much-needed stability into the industrial base. 

With all of the efforts to shore up the shipbuilding workforce, how healthy is the workforce of the suppliers? 

RODEN: The most critical factor in the health of the industrial base workforce is stable and predictable funding. Our survey data shows a direct link between inconsistent demand and the challenge of maintaining a skilled workforce. With a clear and consistent demand signal from the government, we can unlock the full capacity of a domestic industrial base that is 100% committed to delivering the ships our warfighters need. 

How did the well-funded reconciliation law affect the amphibious warfare ship suppliers? 

RODEN: The funding for the bundle buy was a significant and welcome investment. That funding is helping to rejuvenate idle production lines and inject much-needed stability across the amphibious warship industrial base. More than 50% of suppliers agree that the multi-ship buy has added predictability, helping plan for on-time deliveries. It was a crucial investment for the suppliers in our coalition and we are grateful for that support. 

Are you seeing any improvements in amphibious warfare ship construction schedule stability? 

RODEN: While the recent funding was a significant and welcome commitment, true schedule stability can only come from consistent and predictable funding through multi-year appropriations. To the extent that many of our suppliers support new construction across both amphibious ships and other critical naval assets, stable funding benefits the entire shipbuilding industrial base committed to delivering America’s maritime dominance. 

By Vicky Uhland, Seapower Correspondent  

In October, Anduril Industries (Booth 130) is set to debut its first ship in a new class of autonomous surface vessels in collaboration with HD Hyundai and Edison Chouest Offshore. 

Anduril’s 60-meter, 500-plus-ton ASV is aimed the U.S. Navy’s medium unmanned surface vessel (MUSV) program, which focuses on building a distributed, autonomous surface fleet that can nimbly coordinate operations in order to deter threats.  

MUSV is in response to the growing expense of using manned platforms to defend commercial shipping and maintain sea control, said Cory Emmons, Anduril’s general manager of surface dominance.  

Emmons said because of lead-ship building difficulties from legacy production models in the U.S., Anduril chose to partner with Hyundai to cut production time. Anduril is also partnering with Edison Chouest Offshore for U.S. ship production, while Hyundai will mostly build ships for Anduril’s global clients.  

“The U.S. Navy has been clear: Scale is what matters. A single autonomous ship doesn’t move the needle,” according to an Anduril blog. “Commercial shipbuilders are essential to this effort because they already operate at scale, producing large numbers of reliable vessels efficiently, on time and on a disciplined budget.” 

Production on Anduril’s first ASV began in November, and Anduril has been conducting daily at-sea testing of vehicle autonomy, mission autonomy and container payloads on a surrogate vessel using the company’s high-assurance software. “We’re analyzing all potential hazards on the [sea] surface,” Emmons said.  

Along with potential naval applications, Emmons said Anduril’s ASV fleet could be used commercially for sea bed and continental shelf exploration for oil and gas companies. “It’s an emerging market,” he said.  

From HII 
 

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md., April 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HII (NYSE: HII) today celebrated the 25th anniversary of the REMUS unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) family during the 2026 Navy League Sea-Air-Space Exposition, marking a quarter century of innovation, reliability and mission versatility that has made REMUS the world’s leading autonomous underwater vehicle platform. 

Originally funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and developed by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, REMUS began as a research vehicle designed to advance ocean science and undersea exploration. Over the past 25 years, HII has expanded that pioneering technology into the most widely produced and adopted autonomous unmanned underwater systems in the world, supporting defense, commercial and scientific missions. 

“REMUS has endured for 25 years because it was designed to evolve,” said Duane Fotheringham, president of the Unmanned Systems group in HII’s Mission Technologies division. “Its reliability, modularity, and open architecture allow operators to quickly adapt the platform to new missions while maintaining the performance and trust customers rely on.” 

Today, more than 750 REMUS vehicles have been delivered to over 30 nations. They are currently used by 14 NATO navies, including the U.S., United Kingdom, Norway and Germany, as well as allied partners across the Indo-Pacific. REMUS vehicles support mine countermeasures, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), and seabed mapping missions. More than 90% of all REMUS systems deployed in the past 25 years remain in active service, a testament to their durability, reliability and lifecycle value. 

Among REMUS’s notable capabilities and recognition: 

• The REMUS family supports modern naval operations with unmatched reliability. Its autonomous systems enable independent and teamed operations. In a recent breakthrough, REMUS 600 vehicles were successfully launched and recovered from the torpedo tubes of an HII-built U.S. Navy Virginia-class submarine, extending mission reach while reducing exposure risk and enhancing stealth for submarine forces. 

• REMUS’ open-architecture design enables rapid integration of new payloads as missions evolve, maximizing platform modularity while controlling lifecycle costs. The REMUS product line includes multiple variants designed for specific mission profiles and operating depths. Vehicle designations reflect operational depth capability and generational improvements, from the compact REMUS 130 optimized for shallow-water operations, to the REMUS 6000 designed for deep-sea exploration and recovery operations. REMUS 620, a medium unmanned underwater vehicle (MUUV), features modernized electronics, modular upgrades, and endurance of up to 110 hours with a range of approximately 275 nautical miles. 

• REMUS vehicles have played critical roles in high-profile global search operations, including the deep-ocean search for Air France Flight 447, post-tsunami maritime surveys in Japan, and the historic discovery of the USS Indianapolis (CA 35) in the Philippine Sea. 

• Research institutions and environmental organizations continue to rely on REMUS vehicles for oceanographic research, marine archaeology, and ecosystem monitoring. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is currently deploying REMUS 620 vehicles to map seafloor habitats impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, while universities and marine laboratories use the systems to conduct long-duration environmental surveys. 

The U.S. Navy’s Lionfish Program 

The U.S. Navy’s current Lionfish UUV is based on HII’s REMUS 300 platform, a modular, open-architecture small unmanned underwater vehicle (SUUV) engineered for multi-mission adaptability. The program was developed in collaboration with the U.S. Navy and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to accelerate the adoption of dual-use commercial technologies in U.S. Department of Defense programs. 

Lionfish has been recognized as the U.S. Navy’s first successful transition from an Other Transaction Authority (OTA) prototype to full-rate production. It is also the first — and currently only — cyber-compliant UUV. 

Strategic Partnerships and Future Capabilities 

HII continues to invest in next-generation capabilities and strategic partnerships that expand how unmanned systems operate across the maritime domain. In a recent initiative, HII and Babcock International Group signed a strategic agreement to integrate REMUS UUVs with Babcock’s submarine weapon handling and launch systems, enabling autonomous launch and recovery of UUVs through submarine torpedo tubes and unlocking new deployment options for allied submarine forces. 

In the U.S. Navy’s future fleet, and together with HII’s ROMULUS unmanned surface vehicle (USV), REMUS systems enable integration of manned and unmanned platforms.

Technology will enhance country’s electronic warfare capabilities 

From RTX 

ARLINGTON, V.A. (April 20, 2026) — Raytheon, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, has delivered its first Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) pods to the Royal Australian Air Force.  

NGJ is a cooperative development and production program with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). It is an airborne electronic attack system containing active electronically scanned arrays that radiate in the mid-band frequency range. By disrupting enemy radars and communication systems, NGJ enables aircrew to remain undetected while airborne, allowing them to execute their missions with greater safety and effectiveness. 

“This delivery marks a significant milestone in our collaborative efforts with the U.S. Navy and RAAF on NGJ,” said Barbara Borgonovi, president of Naval Power at Raytheon. “This advanced technology will greatly enhance RAAF’s electronic warfare capabilities, safeguarding vital assets on its aircraft and more effectively neutralizing adversary technologies across a wide range of missions.” 

Raytheon has been partnering with the U.S. Navy and RAAF since the inception of the NGJ program. This first delivery of shipsets occurred ahead of schedule in September 2025, with future deliveries continuing through 2026. Raytheon is also providing on-site deployment and maintenance support in Australia to help support operational and mission readiness.

From Chris Bishop at Boeing, April 20, 2026

Boeing, U.S. Navy complete initial flight tests of the JDAM LR, validating powered flight and long-range capability. 

Boeing and U.S. Navy teammates completed a series of flight tests last week for the GBU-75 Joint Direct Attack Munition Long Range (JDAM LR) at the Navy’s Point Mugu Sea Range, California. 

• JDAM is a low-cost guidance kit that converts existing free-fall bombs into accurately guided smart weapons. JDAM LR adds long-range capability and is the newest in the JDAM family of systems. 

Why it matters: The tests validated the weapon’s ability to operate from an F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter and sustain powered flight of a 500-pound (230-kilogram) JDAM. 

• Military Code GPS navigation systems on JDAM LR tracked satellites for the entire test, improving the weapon’s resilience and accuracy against GPS jamming and spoofing. 

How they did it: An F/A-18E Super Hornet from China Lake Naval Weapons Station flew to Point Mugu and released an inert JDAM LR. 

• The first test, on April 1, demonstrated safe separation, engine start, cruise and guidance through terminal flight and impact in water after a 34-minute flight. The weapon sustained powered flight for nearly 200 nautical miles and landed within meters of its planned target.   

• For the next test, on April 3, teams flew a second planned flight profile, successfully incorporating altitude changes and weapon maneuvering during an otherwise similar flight. 

By Matt Reisener 

America’s maritime industrial base (MIB) is in crisis. Decades of deindustrialization, inconsistent policy support, labor attrition and increasingly globalized supply chains have left the United States struggling to produce ships on time and on budget, all while strategic competition at sea intensifies. America’s MIB is unable to support the needs of its Navy, compete with rising naval and shipbuilding powers such as China, or reliably contribute to the protection of America’s most vital national interests in the decades to come.  

However, many of the United States’ maritime allies are experiencing similar challenges to their domestic shipbuilding industries and have adopted creative approaches to solving them. The United States must utilize the experience, knowledge and resources of its allies to develop the best strategy possible for building a stronger, more resilient MIB.  

Accordingly, the Center for Maritime Strategy conducted a study of America’s allied maritime industrial base to examine how five American allies (South Korea, Italy, Canada, Sweden and the United Kingdom) build commercial and naval ships, how they support their shipbuilding industries and what lessons America can learn from its allies about how to revitalize its MIB.  

Each country faces similar shipbuilding challenges to America but has taken a different approach to addressing them. Although South Korea and Italy have successfully maintained strong commercial and naval shipbuilding sectors, Canada and the United Kingdom have largely allowed their commercial sectors to atrophy while primarily focusing on warship construction, while Sweden has seen both sectors significantly diminish and maintains only marginal naval shipbuilding capabilities. Many of America’s allies have successfully maintained strong MIBs by streamlining the process for designing and building ships. Among the countries studied, the most successful nations at sustaining strong commercial and naval shipbuilding industries have found ways to minimize late-stage design changes, build a greater variety of ships based on a common design and establish a shipbuilding culture which emphasizes delivering ships on time and under budget.  

Similarly, the study illustrates how government investments in their MIBs can set their shipbuilding industries up for success, including by training the next generation of skilled tradespeople and supporting greater supply chain resilience. America’s most successful shipbuilding allies have also heavily invested in integrating new technology into their shipyards, fully embracing automation, digitization and artificial intelligence to support their work — often with strong government support for these efforts. 

America can build a stronger, more capable MIB by partnering with and learning from its allies. Accordingly, this study provides recommendations for how America can apply these insights to support its MIB while embracing greater multilateral maritime cooperation.   

CMS and speakers from the allied nations in the report will host a panel discussion on the new report on Tuesday, April 21 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the Cherry Blossom Ballroom.  

Read the full report here.

In February 2026, Fincantieri Marine Group (Booth 1223) issued the following release: 

“As you may have seen in NAVSEA’s press release, the U.S. Navy tapped Fincantieri to build four of the first wave of Medium Landing Ships (LSMs) for the Marine Corps. Our $1B investment over the last 18 years to create concurrent production lines across our Wisconsin system of shipyards has positioned us to be a prime player in the American shipbuilding renaissance. This announcement represents a good start of follow-on workload, part of the framework agreed with the Navy to ensure stability following the announcement in November. Details are still being worked out between us and the Navy, and we will communicate any developments, as soon as they solidify. Our intent is to quickly build as many vessels as the Navy will trust us with, in the LSM class and other classes that our armed forces require, to contribute to our nation’s needs.” 

Fincantieri Marine Group CEO George Moutafis later discussed the LSM program’s vessel construction management (VCM) concept with Senior Editor Richard R. Burgess. 

The Vessel Construction Management concept proved successful with Philly Shipyards and its National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) program. What advantages and disadvantages do you see with the VCM concept? 

MOUTAFIS: Advantages: I trust our Navy wants to see whether this mechanism can deliver quality vessels fast, by streamlining oversight and creating unity of effort. Such benefits can be achieved if the concept is applied in its intended form: 

A key aspect is to empower the VCM to make decisions on construction, favoring schedule, without compromising quality and without seeking constant guidance or approval from the Navy. When combined with a complete and final design and a commercial-type relationship between the VCM and shipbuilders, this can be truly powerful and harness efficiency in decision-making and speed. 

So, overall, this concept is aimed at simplifying things. From that vantage point, this approach aligns perfectly with our goal of fast serial production of naval vessels, and we are ready to continue our partnership with the Navy and help them test this concept.   

Disadvantages: More than disadvantages, it will be key for all parties involved (the Navy, the VCM, the shipbuilder(s) to embrace the concept, draw the relevant lines and collectively ensure we do not fall into mishaps of the past that might jeopardize what this concept is trying to achieve. 

With the VCM chosen as the LSM program management concept, what changes will Marinette have to institute to accommodate the concept? 

MOUTAFIS: We are ready. In Wisconsin we have a system of yards where we have executed successfully programs for our Navy, for our Coast Guard, but also for commercial customers, under a variety of contractual setups.  

We will wait to see the details of how the Navy will position itself towards the program and how the VCM will seek to exercise oversight and work with us. We are ready to adjust to whatever those requirements are. 

At first glance, an oversight and collaboration similar to the one witnessed during the NSMV program and a “build-to-print” design, for now, appear to alleviate some demands in terms of administration and engineering, allowing us to swiftly get into what we do best: swift serial construction … but it all remains to be seen.  

What adjustments, if any, will be needed for your workforce as you shift from LCS production to the LSM? 

MOUTAFIS: Using a “build-to-print” approach allows construction to happen quicker. Plus, it minimizes change and prevents extensive and time-consuming design iterations.   

We will need to review all the technical details, but we do not foresee major adjustments to workforce. Our system-of-yards configuration ensures agility in the workforce, rendering them able to jump from Navy standards to commercial or ABS standards.  

And with the right level of sustained demand signal, we will be able to improve efficiency and speed, which will be a win for all parties. Our system of yards can accommodate multiple parallel lines, almost concurrently. 

How is Marinette fairing with the nationwide shortage of skilled shipyard workers? 

MOUTAFIS: No doubt, shipbuilders and the related trades remain in high demand. We have expanded our recruiting efforts over the previous few years, and we are blessed to say that our efforts worked. Last year alone we hired nearly 800 employees and improved our retention by 50%.   

Our Wisconsin operations saw positive feedback on several new initiatives over the previous 18 months, aimed at stabilizing the workforce. Efforts like cash bonuses to incentivize employee retention and tax-free subsidized childcare had a positive effect on our employees and our operations. 

In years past Marinette had difficulty in retention of shipyard workers because of housing shortages in the region. Has that situation been alleviated to any degree? 

MOUTAFIS: Yes, there has been a concerted effort by the local communities and developers to expand the number of local housing options that closely align to our growing workforce and their families. We believe this is less of an issue given the development and community support over the last couple of years in Northeast Wisconsin.       

Is Marinette continuing with cooperative relationships with community colleges for workforce development? What is your assessment of the cooperation?  

MOUTAFIS: Yes, we are continuing and seeking to expand our network of such collaborations. We have a continuously growing relationship with Northeast Wisconsin Technical College to not only reinforce the need to up-skill current employees, but also to introduce new technologies and digital tools to attract the shipbuilders of the next generation.  

Imagine a not-so-distant future replete with examples of shipyard welders leveraging cobots (collaborative robots) to weld in places where it’s difficult for humans to easily work. That is the future of shipbuilding and why we’re equipping our employees with digital tools like exoskeletons for demanding and repetitive tasks and augmented and virtual reality that allows workers on the deckplates to communicate challenges directly to the engineering team using a wearable digital device.