US Navy awards HII $336 million to secure USS William J. Clinton Ford-class carrier construction

The U.S. Navy awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries a $336.1 million cost-only, undefinitized contract action to buy long-lead material for the future USS William Jefferson Clinton, designated CVN-82. Fiscal 2026 shipbuilding funds are fully obligated for reactor components, heavy forgings, propulsion equipment, and other items needed well before major construction, with contract work scheduled through March 2039. The fifth Gerald R. Ford-class carrier is currently planned for keel laying in 2027, launch in 2032, and commissioning in 2036, although those program milestones remain forward schedules rather than completed events.