NEWPORT NEWS, Va., December 16, 1998 – Newport News Shipbuilding (NYSE: NNS) announced today that it has been awarded a $22 million Navy contract to perform maintenance, repairs and alterations of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier John C. Stennis (CVN 74). This Planned Incremental Availability is a six-month effort in which NNS will manage non-propulsion or "topside" work performed on the ship in San Diego, Calif.

Newport News Shipbuilding is leading a team of San Diego repair contractors for the work on the Stennis in coordination with the overall program manager for the project, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Wash.

The project includes ship alterations, modernization and repairs to the combat systems, weapons and aircraft elevators, flight systems, air conditioning systems and crew habitability areas.

Work began on October 12. The Newport News Shipbuilding team is made up of about a dozen NNS employees and four local San Diego contractors: Continental Maritime, South West Marine, a division of United States Marine Repair, NASSCO and Pacific Ship Repair and Fabrication. Continental Maritime was acquired by Newport News Shipbuilding in 1997.

USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) was built by Newport News Shipbuilding and delivered to the Navy in 1995. The ship is named after the former U.S. senator from Mississippi. (CVN 74) was built by Newport News Shipbuilding and delivered to the Navy in 1995. The ship is named after the former U.S. senator from Mississippi.

Newport News Shipbuilding designs and constructs nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines for the U.S. Navy and provides life-cycle maintenance services for ships in the Navy fleet. The company employs 18,000 people and has annual revenues of approximately $1.8 billion.