GlobeNewswire Inc | Dec 6, 2021 03:30PM EST

December 06, 2021

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., Dec. 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division today officially started fabrication of theArleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) destroyerGeorge M. Neal (DDG 131).

Start of fabrication is our first opportunity to formally celebrate and reflect on our contributions as shipbuilders, Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson said. We are very proud of what we do here for the country and endeavor to do our part in building and activating what will be the newest Flight III destroyer.

Ingalls has delivered 33Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to the Navy. Other destroyers currently under construction includeLenah Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123), Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125), Ted Stevens (DDG 128) and Jeremiah Denton (DDG 129).

A photo accompanying this release is available at: https://newsroom.huntingtoningalls.com/file/ddg-131-start-fabrication.

The new destroyers name honors a Korean War veteran, Aviation Machinists Mate 3rd Class George M. Neal, who was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroic actions while attempting to rescue a fellow service member. Neal volunteered as crewman to fly in a helicopter deep into North Korean mountains to attempt the rescue of a Marine aviator who had been shot down and was trapped by the enemy. During the rescue attempt, under heavy enemy fire, Neals helicopter was disabled and crashed. He assisted his pilot and the rescued aviator in evading enemy forces for nine days before being captured and held as a prisoner of war. Neal was eventually released and returned to the U.S. with more than 320 fellow POWs in 1952.

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are highly capable, multi-mission ships and can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection, all in support of the United States military strategy. Guided missile destroyers are capable of simultaneously fighting air, surface and subsurface battles. The ship contains myriad offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime defense needs well into the 21st century.

Huntington Ingalls Industries is Americas largest military shipbuilding company and a provider of professional services to partners in government and industry. For more than a century, HIIs Newport News and Ingalls shipbuilding divisions in Virginia and Mississippi have built more ships in more ship classes than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder. HIIs Technical Solutions division provides mission-critical national security solutions to government and commercial customers worldwide. Headquartered in Newport News, Virginia, HII employs over 44,000 people operating both domestically and internationally. For more information, visit:

-- HII on the web: www.HII.com -- HII on Facebook:www.facebook.com/HuntingtonIngallsIndustries -- HII on Twitter:www.twitter.com/hiindustries -- HII on YouTube: www.youtube.com/huntingtoningalls -- HII on Instagram: www.instagram.com/huntingtoningalls

Contact:

Danny HernandezDanny.J.Hernandez@hii-co.com(202) 580-9086