Pipefitter

HII awarded $2.2 billion contract to advance U.S. Surveillance and intelligence capabilities for the western hemisphere. Globe Newswire 11-Aug-2026 12:00 PM MCLEAN, Va., Aug. 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - HII (NYSE:HII) announced today that its Mission Technologies division has been awarded a $2.2 billion task order to deliver advanced Surveillance, Tracking, Intelligence, Network Services, Global Reconnaissance, Analysis, and Interceptions (STRINGRAI) in support of the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). STRINGRAI will enhance SOUTHCOM's ability to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit activity across Central America, South America, and the Caribbean, while strengthening integrated intelligence and reconnaissance capabilities essential to defending the U.S. homeland and national interests. HII will lead an integrated team to provide SOUTHCOM and partner nations with a comprehensive suite of intelligence gathering capabilities, advanced technologies and adaptable innovative all-domain platforms for high-level operational readiness and preparedness. "This award is an incredible opportunity and goes right to the heart of what SOUTHCOM needs - clearer visibility, faster decision-making, and the ability to stay ahead of rapidly changing threats. Our team understands the complexity of this region, and we're proud to support the command with solutions that help protect U.S. interests and strengthen security across the hemisphere," said Andy Green, executive vice president of HII and president of HII's Mission Technologies division. The program supports SOUTHCOM's mission to counter transnational criminal organizations, drug cartels, and drug trafficking organizations, and provides commanders with greater flexibility to respond to emerging threats and shifts in regional security dynamics. The task order was awarded under the General Services Administration (GSA) ASTRO Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract, issued by GSA Assisted Acquisition Services (AAS) Defense and has a period of performance of one base year with six option years. About HII HII is America's largest shipbuilder, delivering the world's most powerful ships and all-domain mission technologies, including unmanned systems, to U.S. and allied defense customers. HII is the largest producer of unmanned underwater vehicles for the U.S. Navy and the world. With a more than 140-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII builds and integrates defense capabilities extending from the core fleet to C6ISR, AI/ML, EW and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HII's workforce is 45,000 strong. For more information, visit:

HII signs up to $900M agreement with Path Robotics, GrayMatter Robotics. Rove pairs Path Robotics' Obsidian physical AI model with legged robot for autonomous welding beyond fixed cells. Source: Path Robotics Huntington Ingalls Industries, or HII, today announced long-term performance-based production agreements with GrayMatter Robotics and Path Robotics. Under the agreements, HII intends to award up to $900 million in total shipbuilding work to Path Robotics and GrayMatter across seven years. Path Robotics provides robotic welding technology, while GrayMatter offers robotic sanding systems. "We are committed to making generational investments to develop new shipbuilding capability and to expand capacity," said Eric Chewning, executive vice president of maritime systems and corporate strategy at HII. "Together, we are defining a new approach to robotics in shipbuilding: automation that can adapt to extreme levels of complexity, mix, and size." GrayMatter, Path Robotics participate in HYPR program. Both companies are part of the High-Yield Production Robotics, or HYPR, program. Huntington Ingalls launched this program in April. Its goal is to accelerate advanced, adaptive automation in the fabrication process of both crewed and uncrewed naval platforms. The performance-based production agreements are also part of the HYPR Program. The program includes collaboration and joint development frameworks that establish governance, program execution, and long-term operational alignment among the companies. The funding is contingent on the two companies meeting clearly defined technology and manufacturing readiness, as well as performance milestones, said HII. Agreement targets a range of U.S. Navy programs. With the agreement, Huntington Ingalls said it plans to accelerate development and deployment of physical AI across U.S. Navy shipbuilding programs, including aircraft carriers, submarines, destroyers, amphibious ships, future frigates and unmanned surface vessels. "For years, we've believed physical AI could fundamentally change manufacturing," said Andy Lonsberry, co-founder and CEO of Path Robotics. "HYPR is a powerful validation of our vision - that physical AI can scale shipbuilding capacity in one of the world's most demanding production environments." The agreements include two stages: a Navy-grade development stage and a delivery stage. In the development stage, both companies will partner with HII to develop, validate and qualify high-precision production techniques. These can be applied across autonomous welding, grinding, blasting, painting, assembly, inspection and other fabrication processes. The companies will then integrate the techniques into an autonomous production line. For instance, Rove pairs Path Robotics' Obsidian physical AI model with a quadruped robot to bring autonomous welding beyond fixed cells. It deploys directly onto large assemblies and immovable structures across shipbuilding, heavy industry, and construction. HII outsources shipbuilding work to automation partners. Huntington Ingalls said the agreements establish a testing, qualification, and oversight process to ensure that every technology meets the standards of U.S. Navy shipbuilding. In the delivery stage, HII will begin sourcing shipbuilding work from both companies through the new line, contingent upon favorable cost, schedule, and quality performance. It said it designed this stage to augment its current distributed shipbuilding strategy, starting with small steel structures and growing to include units and modules. In 2026, HII plans to outsource more than 2.5 million hours of shipbuilding work, a 30% increase from 2025, while expanding its structural assembly network of assembly partner companies, enabling more work to be completed outside the shipyards before final assembly.