The UK-based Westley Group has been approved by HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division to supply critical metal castings for nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers used by the U.S. Navy, the companies said. The approval marks the entry of a British high-integrity metal casting firm into a U.S. naval shipbuilding supply chain that has been seeking to expand and better integrate its sources of essential components.
Westley Group, described as a specialist in high-integrity metal castings, will provide castings that Newport News has identified as critical to the construction and sustainment of the Navy’s larger surface and undersea platforms. The Newport News Shipbuilding division of HII conducted a supplier approval process that concluded with Westley’s acceptance to deliver parts for naval vessels that require stringent material, dimensional and quality characteristics. The companies have not disclosed contract values, specific parts, or a delivery schedule.
The move comes amid industry and government efforts to strengthen and diversify the industrial base for complex shipbuilding programs. HII noted that the decision is “consistent with the need to have a more integrated supply chain,” saying that creating a supplier that builds essential components contributes to the incremental volume required to construct more submarines. That characterization underscores a broader emphasis within the defense shipbuilding sector on securing reliable sources of specialty metal components, which are often long-lead and technically demanding to produce.
Quality and supply continuity are central concerns in naval shipbuilding, where castings can form structural elements, casings, and other parts subject to extreme stresses and regulatory inspection. Westley’s reputation for high-integrity castings was cited as a key factor in its approval by Newport News, which applies rigorous supplier standards for parts used in nuclear-powered platforms and large-deck carriers. Approval by a prime shipbuilder typically follows audits of manufacturing processes, material traceability, nondestructive testing capabilities and compliance with applicable specifications, though the parties did not provide details on the specific audit steps Westley underwent.
For Westley, the Newport News approval represents an opportunity to participate in U.S. defense supply chains on a programmatic scale. For Newport News and its parent division, adding an approved source is intended to expand available manufacturing capacity and mitigate risks associated with single-source suppliers or production bottlenecks. HII framed the addition as helping to meet “incremental volume required to construct more submarines,” indicating a focus on scaling production capacity to meet program demands.
What happens next will depend on follow-on procurement decisions and the timing of production requirements. With approval complete, Westley is positioned to receive specifications and orders for particular castings as programs proceed, subject to further qualification steps for specific parts and schedules set by Newport News and its program managers. Both companies have so far limited public disclosure to the approval itself and its intended role in supporting submarines and aircraft carriers, leaving detailed programmatic implications and timelines to be determined.