Huntington Ingalls Industries [HII] expects to receive a U.S. Navy contract late this year to begin buying materials for the third Ford-class aircraft carrier, Enterprise (CVN-80), according to a company official.The contract will pay for long-lead-time items, said Matthew Mulherin, president of HII division Newport News Shipbuilding. The Navy’s fiscal year 2016 budget request, now pending in Congress, contains $875 million for CVN-80 advance procurement, including industry- and government-furnished equipment.Mulherin, who spoke at an April 14 media briefing at the…