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. In addition to electric propulsion and power generation systems, the site will also support the design, manufacturing and testing of naval steam turbine systems. Leonardo DRS designs and manufactures advanced power and propulsion technologies built to operate in demanding maritime and battlefield environments.