Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) is attempting to use artificial intelligence technology to address shipbuilding delays.
The company’s shipbuilding projects for the US Navy are generally facing serious delays, especially the Ford-class aircraft carrier project, which is already several years behind schedule. In order to speed up progress, HII is collaborating with AI-listed company C3 AI to apply AI algorithms to shipyard work scheduling and planning.
C3 AI conducted a six-month production deployment trial program at Ingalls Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of HII, which is responsible for building all U.S. Navy amphibious ships and most Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. During the trial period, C3 AI’s enterprise AI system dynamically adjusted and optimized Ingalls Shipbuilding’s work plans. HII stated that the AI platform significantly improved the efficiency of work schedule execution, and HII plans to roll out the technology across all its shipyards.
Another shipyard under HII, Newport News Shipbuilding, is the only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier builder in the United States and one of two builders of the U.S. Navy’s Columbia-class and Virginia-class submarines. Currently, Ingalls and Newport News Shipbuilding will both begin using C3 AI technology for project planning and scheduling.
Thomas M. Siebel, Chairman and CEO of C3 AI, said, “This partnership underscores our growing importance as a strategic supplier to the U.S. government and Department of Defense. By deploying AI across enterprise planning, operations, and supply chains, we are building modern, intelligent infrastructure to ensure U.S. naval readiness.”
The few shipyards currently building surface combatants and submarines for the US Navy are under close scrutiny. Acting Chief of Naval Operations Admiral James Kilby reported that all new shipbuilding projects in the department have experienced delays to varying degrees, with even the shortest delays amounting to at least several years.