HII and C3 AI forge strategic artificial intelligence partnership to support US Navy shipbuilding

Revolutionizing Shipbuilding: HII and C3 AI Partner for Accelerated Naval Readiness

In a significant step forward for America's defense industrial base, HII, the nation's largest military shipbuilder, has forged a strategic partnership with C3 AI, a leader in enterprise AI application software. This collaboration is set to infuse advanced digital technologies and artificial intelligence across HII's shipbuilding operations, with a clear objective: dramatically accelerate shipbuilding throughput and bolster the U.S. Navy's fleet readiness.

The urgency to deliver ships to the U.S. Navy faster is a critical priority, as emphasized by HII CEO Chris Kastner. Leveraging data and digital capabilities, particularly AI, is seen as essential to this vital work. C3 AI Chairman and CEO Thomas M. Siebel echoed this sentiment, highlighting the partnership's role in maintaining maritime industrial dominance through next-generation technologies and powering an intelligent infrastructure for U.S. naval readiness.

The Power of AI in Shipbuilding: Key Areas of Focus

This expanded partnership will see AI solutions integrated across core shipbuilding functions at HII's two major divisions: Newport News Shipbuilding, responsible for nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines, and Ingalls Shipbuilding, known for amphibious ships and destroyers. The initial focus areas for AI implementation are comprehensive and directly target critical bottlenecks and inefficiencies inherent in complex manufacturing like shipbuilding:

• Planning and Scheduling: Optimizing intricate project timelines, resource allocation, and task dependencies.
• Operations: Streamlining shipyard processes, improving workflow efficiency, and enhancing on-the-ground execution.
• Supply Chain Management: Predicting and mitigating disruptions, optimizing inventory, and ensuring timely delivery of materials.
• Labor Allocation: More effectively assigning personnel, managing workloads, and ensuring skilled workers are where they are needed most.

By applying AI in these areas, HII aims to achieve tangible improvements in production speed and predictability.

Demonstrated Benefits and Proven Results

This partnership isn't just a theoretical exercise. It builds upon a successful six-month initial Enterprise AI production deployment program conducted at Ingalls Shipbuilding. During this phase, HII teams utilized complex algorithms powered by the C3 Agentic AI Platform to adjust and optimize work schedules. The results were compelling, demonstrating significant improvements in schedule performance.

This initial success provides a strong foundation and clear evidence of the practical benefits AI can bring to the demanding environment of military shipbuilding. The plan is now to scale these proven AI applications across both the Ingalls and Newport News shipyards, extending the benefits seen in the pilot to a wider range of shipbuilding programs.

Actionable Insights for the Future of Defense Manufacturing

The HII-C3 AI partnership offers valuable takeaways for any large-scale, complex manufacturing or defense-related operation considering digital transformation:

1. Start with Specific Problems: The success at Ingalls focused on optimizing work schedules, a concrete and measurable problem. Identify critical bottlenecks where AI can have a direct, demonstrable impact.
2. Leverage Proven Platforms: Utilizing an established Enterprise AI platform like C3 AI's facilitated the initial deployment and provides a scalable foundation for wider adoption. Don't necessarily try to build everything from scratch.
3. Focus on Core Processes: Targeting planning, operations, supply chain, and labor addresses fundamental elements of manufacturing efficiency. These areas are often rich with data that AI can analyze for optimization.
4. Scale Success: A successful pilot program provides the necessary proof points and lessons learned to confidently expand AI adoption across the enterprise.
5. Recognize Strategic Importance: This isn't just about process improvement; it's about strengthening national security capabilities. Frame AI adoption within the context of broader strategic goals like readiness and industrial dominance.

Beyond current shipbuilding efforts, the collaboration is also exploring future opportunities, including the application of AI to uncrewed vehicle production and sustainment, signaling a forward-looking approach to defense technology.

Conclusion: A Milestone for Digital Shipbuilding

This alliance between HII and C3 AI represents a significant milestone in the ongoing digitization of America’s defense industrial base. By strategically applying AI to core shipbuilding processes, the partnership is poised to deliver accelerated production schedules, enhanced efficiency, and ultimately, strengthen the U.S. Navy's fleet readiness. The success demonstrated in the initial phase provides a powerful template for how AI can move beyond theoretical potential to deliver tangible, mission-critical results in complex, high-stakes environments like military shipbuilding.