Eastern Shipbuilding supports HII’s “distributed shipbuilding” program

A grand block for DDG 135 was transported by barge to Ingalls after being constructed, inspected and accepted at Eastern Shipbuilding Group’s Nelson Street shipyard in Panama City, Fla. [Photo: ESG]

As we reported earlier, HII (NYSE: HII) is partnering with shipyards and fabricators in multiple states to grow its throughput and meet the increased demand for ships by the U.S. Navy. One of the shipbuilders that HII is partnering with is Panama City, Fla.-headquartered Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG).

ESG has reached an agreement with HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding Division to support the limited production of outfitted structural units for the U.S. Navy’s Flight III Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) guided missile destroyers.

Building on the success of a recent pilot program in which ESG constructed a limited number of DDG units at its Nelson Street shipyard in Panama City, the two companies have entered into an agreement that both supports the expansion of the U.S. domestic industrial base and advances construction of the U.S. Navy’s surface combatant fleet.

“With nearly fifty years of experience delivering some of the most reliable and highest-performing steel and aluminum vessels, we’re proud to partner with HII to support production of the U.S. Navy’s destroyer fleet,” said Joey D’Isernia, CEO of Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. “This collaboration strengthens our national shipbuilding capability—expanding industrial capacity and enhancing our nation’s competitive advantage.”
The collaboration allows ESG to leverage the company’s expertise, resources, and capabilities, ensuring that the U.S. Navy receives the necessary vessels to maintain its global readiness and superiority. With the growing demand for advanced naval vessels, this alliance provides a much-needed boost to America’s shipbuilding capacity.

ESG is making investments to support these goals and is scheduled to complete a significant infrastructure improvement project at its Nelson Street government shipbuilding facility this summer. The expansion will significantly increase ESG’s capability to construct and deliver mul