An advanced manufacturing facility designed to increase U.S. Navy submarine production capacity has opened in Cherokee, Alabama, marking a new step in efforts to strengthen the maritime industrial base.
Advanced manufacturing company Hadrian built the Factory 4 site, which will support the production of components for Virginia-class attack submarines and Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines to help reduce pressure on existing shipyards, the U.S. Navy said Friday.
The Alabama campus is expected to reach full-rate production within two years, with sustained operations projected by its third year.
The 2026 Navy Summit, hosted by the Potomac Officers Club on Aug, 27, will convene Navy leaders, defense officials and industry executives to examine emerging technologies, modernization efforts and priorities shaping the future of naval operations. Register now to join the conversation.
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What Is the “Factory of the Future?”
The 2.2 million-square-foot facility is built around highly-automated manufacturing processes intended to accelerate component production at scale.
By shifting parts manufacturing away from traditional shipyards, the facility enables yards in Rhode Island, Connecticut and Virginia to focus on submarine module production.
“We call this distributed shipbuilding, and it’s a key tenet of our plan to achieve required shipbuilding production rates,” said Jason Potter, acting assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition.
Factory 4 is the first of three planned advanced manufacturing facilities intended to address critical constraints in submarine production and support long-term fleet requirements.
“I look forward to building on this progress together in the months ahead, because we are just getting started,” said Navy Secretary John Phelan, a 2026 Wash100 Award recipient.
How Is the Project Funded?
The project combines approximately $900 million in Navy funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, with $1.5 billion in private investment, totaling more than $2.4 billion. According to Hadrian, the effort is expected to create up to 1,000 manufacturing jobs.
How Does This Fit Into Navy Acquisition and Industrial Base Efforts?
The facility aligns with broader Navy initiatives aimed at accelerating shipbuilding and modernizing acquisition.
Recent reforms include the establishment of portfolio acquisition executive organizations to streamline decision-making and improve accountability across major capability areas, including undersea systems.
In parallel, the Department of War has elevated oversight of submarine programs by creating a direct reporting portfolio manager role, currently held by Vice Adm. Robert Gaucher, to coordinate production priorities and resources across the enterprise.
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