NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The Trump administration's proposal for a new class of battleships could mean major new work for Newport News Shipbuilding, with the Navy saying final construction of the vessels would take place at the facility.
Late last year, President Trump unveiled the proposal for the new battleships, saying they would be some of the most lethal surface warfare ships.
"They'll help maintain American military supremacy, revive the American shipbuilding industry and inspire fear in America's enemies all over the world," Trump said.
The Navy now expects the ships will be nuclear powered. During a recent congressional hearing, officials explained the significance of that decision by comparing it to the nuclear-powered USS Gerald R. Ford.
"We saw when the USS Ford was able to move from Venezuela to the Mediterranean in five days — you can't do that on gas turbine, and that's why we're investigating on the power for the battleship," Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said.
The Navy has also confirmed Newport News Shipbuilding's role.
"We also agree Newport News is the final assembly yard for the battleship, and that efficiently to bring together for the final assembly at Newport News," Jason Potter from the Navy told lawmakers last month.
Local Congressman Rob Wittman questioned the capacity at the shipyard during a hearing, noting it is also building aircraft carriers and other vessels.
A spokesperson for HII told me the company "stand[s] ready to support the Navy's requirements."
On the question of capacity, the spokesperson said: "We continually evaluate our capacity and programs, as well as that of our distributed shipbuilding network. We understand the urgency and have taken a number of actions to increase the speed at which we can deliver, including increasing the amount of work we are sharing with our shipbuilding partners."
As talks continue, congressional leaders appear to want more input. A provision in the House defense budget would require the Secretary of the Navy to certify that the technologies planned for the ship are sufficient before a construction contract could be awarded.
The Trump administration has framed the broader shipbuilding push as a national priority.
"We're going to restore America as a major shipbuilding power," Trump said.
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