HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division, Pascagoula, Miss., has been selected by the U.S. Navy to design and build the future small surface combatant ship, the company announced Friday. The program will leverage the design of the Ingalls-built Legend-class national security cutter.
The shipbuilder will conduct construction activities alongside its existing destroyer and amphibious ship production lines, using the same build sequence employed for the national security cutters. Ingalls cited its experience building complex ships and available facility capacity as factors supporting the effort.
“We look forward to supporting the Navy on this critical program,” said Chris Kastner, HII president and CEO. “Speed matters, and the NSC ship design is stable and produceable and will lead to predictable schedules. I have great confidence in the Ingalls team to execute this program, and in our ongoing efforts with our partners to successfully expand the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base to meet the Navy’s needs.”
Ingalls is currently building three classes of ships for the Navy: DDG 51 Flight III destroyers, LHA amphibious assault ships, and LPD Flight II amphibious transport docks. The shipyard is also modernizing the Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyers, including incorporating the conventional prompt strike weapons system.
The shipbuilder supported the Coast Guard for nearly two decades by building and delivering 10 Legend-class national security cutters. The final cutter was delivered in October 2023.
HII noted it has invested more than $1 billion in infrastructure, facilities, and tools at Ingalls Shipbuilding to support next-generation systems and platforms. The company said it has distributed shipbuilding work this year to 23 outsourcing partners and established partnerships with international manufacturers to evaluate options for expanding capacity, including the potential addition of another U.S. shipyard.
I have directed a new Frigate class as part of @POTUS Golden Fleet. Built on a proven American design, in American shipyards, with an American supply chain, this effort is focused on one outcome: delivering combat power to the Fleet fast. pic.twitter.com/ovnASiHYaF
— Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan (@SECNAV) December 19, 2025
