HII Wins Navy Contract to Advance AUKUS Submarine Design Work

14 October 2026
Edited By: Ed Freeman

HII has announced that its Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division was awarded a $56 million contract by the US Navy for shipbuilding engineering and design in support of the trilateral Australia, United Kingdom, and United States (AUKUS) partnership. The contract includes an option which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $91 million. HII continues to take a whole-company approach to support the AUKUS agreement, providing services and support for AUKUS across its business divisions.

(Credit: HII)

Under the contract, in support of Foreign Military Sales (FMS) requirements, NNS will continue supporting the United Kingdom and Australia, including technology insertion, engineering, supply chain and workforce development support, and digital transformation. The award also includes the United States Industry Support (USIS) effort, wherein NNS engineers and designers will support the design of the SSN-AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine to be built by the United Kingdom and Australia.

“Our longstanding nuclear experience at NNS directly benefits the AUKUS mission to support shared security objectives,” said Bryan Caccavale, NNS vice president of program management. “We are honored to leverage that experience and contribute even more to the AUKUS partnership.”

The contract award is the latest in a range of initiatives HII is actively engaged in to advance the AUKUS partnership. HII’s Mission Technologies division in Australia was awarded the contract to deliver the Australian Submarine Supplier Qualification (AUSSQ) Program, which accelerates the identification, development, and qualification of Australian suppliers for integration into the United States submarine industrial base.

HII is also working with Australian industry and academia in Australia to develop the skilled workforce needed to support Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine enterprise. This includes educating and training thousands of engineers, maritime specialists, nuclear tradespeople, and other professionals to support the enterprise across its full lifecycle.

The company was also awarded the Australian Submarine Agency’s Nuclear Capability Advisory Services (ANCAS) contract in December 2025 to support development of Australia’s Nuclear Power Submarine (NPS) programs through nuclear program management and technical support services.