BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. — Berkeley County leaders recently joined defense industry executives to mark the opening of a major new manufacturing facility that officials say will play a critical role in strengthening the U.S. Navy’s shipbuilding and submarine programs.
Leonardo DRS officially opened its state-of-the-art naval power and propulsion manufacturing and testing facility in the Charleston region on Jan. 23, a more than 140,000-square-foot complex located within Berkeley County’s Bushy Park Industrial Complex at 1588 Bushy Park Road. The investment significantly expands domestic production capacity for advanced naval systems, including components for the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine program.
Berkeley County Supervisor Johnny Cribb and the county’s Economic Development team attended the grand opening, highlighting the project as a milestone for both national defense and the local economy.
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Company officials describe the purpose-built facility as a national asset designed to support advanced manufacturing, final assembly, system integration and testing of large-scale naval electric power and propulsion components. In addition to electric propulsion and power generation systems, the site will also support the design, manufacturing and testing of naval steam turbine systems.
“This strategic investment is a national asset and represents our commitment to supporting the U.S. Navy’s efforts to increase production capacity across the submarine and shipbuilding industrial base,” said Jon Miller, senior vice president and general manager of Leonardo DRS’ Naval Power Systems business unit. “This advanced multi-purpose facility enables us to increase production capacity, streamline our production processes, and rapidly respond to evolving fleet requirements.”
Leonardo DRS President and CEO John Baylouny said the new facility directly responds to calls from federal leaders to strengthen the defense industrial base.
“The Department of War has been clear about the need to strengthen and expand the defense industrial base, and this investment answers that call,” Baylouny said. “By increasing capacity and modernizing our manufacturing infrastructure, we are ensuring the U.S. military has reliable access to the critical capabilities it needs, when and where they are needed.”
As the Navy fields more power-intensive weapons, sensors and advanced computing systems, scalable and integrated power architectures have become essential. Company officials say the Charleston-area facility positions Leonardo DRS to deliver those systems at scale, with the reliability required for next-generation surface combatants and submarines.
Leonardo DRS designs and manufactures advanced power and propulsion technologies built to operate in demanding maritime and battlefield environments. Its systems support everything from advanced sensors and directed-energy weapons to hybrid electric drive and onboard power solutions for surface ships, submarines and ground platforms.
