The Newport News Shipbuilding division of Huntington Ingalls Industries  has broken ground on a new joint manufacturing assembly facility to support the production of submarines and aircraft carriers. The company said Monday  the facility will open in 2017 to help boost efficiency in HII's contracts for the U.S. Navy 's Gerald R. Ford -class aircraft carriers and Virginia -class submarines. Matt Mulherin, president of Newport News Shipbuilding, added that the facility also works to support cost and schedule performance. JMAF will feature production bays, automated equipment, specialty paint bays, heavyweight cranes and other amenities for existing and future ship production programs, HII said.