NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUILDING BEGINS WORK ON USS ASHLAND

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., May 28, 1998 – Newport News Shipbuilding (NYSE:NNS) began work on the U.S. Navy dock-landing ship USS Ashland (LSD-48) when it arrived at the shipyard on May 26. The competitively-bid contract is valued at approximately $4.4 million.

Dry docking and maintenance work on Ashland includes the installation of new titanium fire pumps, conversion of laundry facilities from steam to electric and blasting and coating of the ship. Ashland, commissioned in 1992, will be at Newport News Shipbuilding for three months.

Newport News Shipbuilding is America’s premier shipbuilding company with annual revenues of approximately $1.7 billion and 18,000 employees. The company is the leader in the design and construction of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines for the U. S. Navy. Visit NNS on the Web at www.nns.com.