PASCAGOULA, Miss., Sept. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HII (NYSE: HII) hosted Gen. Eric Smith, the 39th commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, at the company’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division Wednesday. During his visit, Smith met with Ingalls leadership and toured the shipyard, including America-class amphibious assault ship Bougainville (LHA 8).
“The skills and dedication of our Ingalls shipbuilders were on full display during this visit and I am proud of the critical role our team plays in supporting the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy mission,” said Brian Blanchette, Ingalls Shipbuilding president. “Our amphibious programs remain one of our highest priorities and we are fully committed to delivering the most advanced ships to the fleet.”
Photos accompanying this release are available at: http://hii.com/news/hii-hosts-marine-corps-commandant-gen-eric-smith-at-ingalls-shipbuilding-2/.
This visit marked the third time Smith has toured Ingalls Shipbuilding as the commandant. While at Ingalls, Smith spoke on the broader importance of amphibious capability to the fleet and expressed his appreciation for the workforce at Ingalls.
“The construction of these ships is vital to our national interest,” Smith said. “The work done here in this shipyard by these workers directly supports the Navy and Marine Corps in our ability to project power and serve as a global naval expeditionary force.”
Ingalls currently has two LHAs under construction including Bougainville (LHA 8) and Fallujah (LHA 9) and three Flight II LPDs under construction including Harrisburg (LPD 30), Pittsburgh (LPD 31) and Philadelphia (LPD 32). Additionally, in September 2024, the Navy awarded Ingalls a contract for the construction of three San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships (LPD 33, LPD 34 and LPD 35) and a contract modification for the fifth America-class amphibious assault ship, Helmand Province (LHA 10).
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/
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Contact:
Kimberly Aguillard
Kimberly.K.Aguillard@HII-co.com
(228) 355-5663
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/59ae6cce-8ed9-40fd-aed9-4a32e246ee13
