Ingalls Shipbuilding
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipbuilding |
| Founded | 1938 in Pascagoula, Mississippi, United States |
| Founder | Robert Ingersoll Ingalls Sr. |
| Headquarters | Pascagoula , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Naval ships, commercial vessels, submarines, destroyers, amphibious assault ships |
Number of employees | 11,500 (2023) |
| Parent | Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) |
| Website | www |
Ingalls Shipbuilding is a shipyard located in Pascagoula, Mississippi, established in 1938 and currently operating under HII. It stands as a principal contractor for the United States Navy and, as of 2023, ranks as the largest private employer within Mississippi, with a workforce numbering around 11,500.
History
The company was founded in 1938 by businessman Robert Ingersoll Ingalls Sr. (1882–1951) in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Initially focused on constructing commercial vessels such as the , Ingalls broadened its scope during the 1950s to include naval shipbuilding, winning a contract in 1957 to produce a dozen nuclear-powered attack submarines.
In 1961, Litton Industries acquired Ingalls, which led to facility expansion across the Pascagoula River in 1968. Employment reached its zenith in 1977 with over 27,000 personnel. Subsequently, Litton became part of Northrop Grumman Corporation in 2001.
Although Hurricane Katrina inflicted damage in 2005, the shipyard swiftly restored operations by utilizing much of its pre-existing infrastructure.
In 2011, Northrop Grumman separated its shipbuilding operations—including Ingalls—into an independent entity named Huntington Ingalls Industries, emphasizing naval ship construction within its corporate strategy.
More recently, Ingalls has secured major contracts from the US Navy for destroyers, littoral combat ships, and amphibious landing craft. Among the distinguished vessels are destroyers such as , , , and .
In 2015, Ingalls launched the amphibious transport dock , which was commissioned two years later. That same year, the company was awarded contracts for additional destroyers like valued at $604.3 million and an eighth National Security Cutter for the US Coast Guard under a $500 million fixed-price agreement, highlighting its growing presence in defense shipbuilding.
On June 30, 2016, Ingalls entered into a $272 million contract for planning and procurement activities related to the Navy’s forthcoming large-deck amphibious assault ship. With all options exercised, this deal could amount to $3.1 billion—demonstrating Ingalls’ prominent role and competitive strength in naval vessel construction.
Products
Ingalls primarily manufactures naval ships and undertakes projects for international clients including Egypt, Israel, and Venezuela. During the 1940s, the company briefly ventured into producing diesel-electric locomotives, creating only one model—the model 4-S—which was sold to the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad. In the early 1980s, Ingalls also produced approximately 4,000 covered hopper railroad cars, mostly leased through North American Car.
Ships built
Significant vessels constructed by Ingalls include:
Submarines
Destroyers
- Forrest Sherman class:
- Spruance class:
- to (multiple vessels)
- Kidd class:
- to
- Arleigh Burke class:
- Selected ships include , , , and
Cruisers
Cutters
Amphibious transport dock
Amphibious assault ship
- Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ship:
- Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship:
- Wasp-class amphibious assault ship:
- America-class amphibious assault ship:
Attack transport
- Bayfield-class attack transport:
- Additional vessels from the Bayfield and Windsor classes include:
, , , , , , , , , , , , and .
Corvette
Tankers
The T5 tanker prototype, constructed in 1958, measured 615 feet and was engineered with the possibility of atomic power conversion.
Cruise ships and ocean liners
- for naval designer George G. Sharp, 1946
- , an ocean liner built for Moore-MacCormack, launched in 1957
- , also commissioned by Moore-MacCormack, recognized as the last fully completed ocean liner in the U.S. as of 2015
- (initial construction occurred in Mississippi, with final outfitting carried out in Germany)
Ships refitted
Decatur
From 1930 until 1980, Ingalls Shipbuilding managed a barge and type B ship barge facility located in Decatur, Alabama. The property was sold to Trinity Industries in 1980 and ceased operations in 1981. Today, this location is referred to as Ingalls Harbor.