The US Navy has cancelled plans for the next four frigates under the Constellation-class Frigate Program. They had begun procuring the Constellation-class frigates in 2020, and a total of six were procured through 2024.
The original plan was for procuring at least 20 FFG-62s. Constellation (FFG-62) and Congress (FFG-63) will continue to be built at Fincantieri/Marinette Marine (F/MM) shipyard in Wisconsin (WI), but the remaining four warships will not be built. F/MM is the shipbuilder and is headquartered in Marinette, WI.
"From day one I made it clear: I won't spend a dollar if it doesn't strengthen readiness or our ability to win," US Secretary of the Navy, John Phelan wrote on Twitter/X.
In the US FY 2025 budget requests, the US Navy had proposed US$1.17 billion (approx. A$1.81 billion) for the procurement of the seventh ship in the program. Six ships are currently on order, per the FY2025 budget submissions, and the US Navy was expected to procure at least 10.
“We are reshaping how the Navy builds and fields its fleet,” Phelan said. “Today I can announce the first major public action in this reshaping. A strategic shift away from the Constellation-class Frigate Program. The Navy and our industry partners have reached a comprehensive framework that terminates, for the Navy’s convenience the last four ships of the class, which have not begun construction.”
“A key factor in this decision is the need to build the fleet faster to meet tomorrow’s threats. This framework puts the Navy on a path to more rapidly construct new classes of ships and deliver the capability our warfighters need, in greater numbers and on a more urgent timeline.”
F/MM had been awarded a fixed-price incentive (firm target) contract for Detail Design and Construction (DD&C) for up to ten ships in the program—the lead ship plus nine option ships.
The US Navy was aware of the risks, considering a May 2024 US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on the FFG-62 program had stated:
"To reduce technical risk [in the FFG-62 program], the Navy and its shipbuilder [in designing the FFG-62] modified an existing [Italian-French frigate] design to incorporate [U.S.] Navy specifications and weapon systems. However, the Navy's decision to begin construction [of the first FFG-62] before the design was complete is inconsistent with leading ship design practices and jeopardized this approach."
The issues outlined for the FFG-62 program had included the approximate 36-month delay in scheduled delivery of the first warship, the potential for cost growth within the program, whether and when to introduce a second shipyard into the program, the number of vertical launch system (VLS) missile tubes in the design; and the technical risk of the program overall.
The FREMM base design for the Constellation-class was also offered for Australia’s Sea 5000 program, which was subsequently awarded to BAE Systems who are now building the Hunter class frigates for Australia.
Following the Sea 5000 selection, an ANAO report revealed Defence’s Capability and Investment Committee had decided in February 2016 that Italy’s FREMM multipurpose frigate and Spanish shipbuilder Navantia’s modified F-100 were considered the most viable designs and that either the UK’s BAE Systems Type 26 or the French variant of the FREMM design should be progressed as a third option for the competitive evaluation activity.
Both Defence and the prime contractor – BAE Systems Australia Maritime – have recently reported that the Hunter project remains on track and on schedule with regard to the 2024 Defence Integrated Investment Program (IIP).