Fincantieri Marinette Marine has officially begun construction of the first Constellation class frigate for the US Navy.

Construction of the ship began on Wednesday, August 31, at Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard in Marinette, Wisconsin, Navsea reports.

The start of construction follows a detailed Navy assessment of the maturity of the design and readiness of the shipyard to begin construction.

The future USS Constellation (FFG 62) is the lead ship of the Navy’s newest class of warships.

The new frigates are designed to operate in both open ocean and littoral environments, as part of a Carrier or Expeditionary Strike Group.

They will be used for over-the-horizon destruction of enemy ships with cruise missiles, detection of submarines and protection of ship groups.

According to the information released by the US Navy, the ship will be laid down in the first quarter of 2023.

According to the plan, the frigate should be launched in 2025 and handed over to the US Navy in the third quarter of 2026.

The cost of construction of the main ship of the FFG(X) project will amount to $1.28 billion, and $850 million per unit for the following ones.

The ship is planned to be armed with a 57-millimeter gun, a Mk.41 vertical launcher with 32 cells, and a Mk.49 guided missile launcher. In addition, the frigate will receive four Mk.53 Mod.9 false target launchers.

The length of the Constellation frigate will reach 151.2 meters, and it will be 19.8 meters in width. In total, the planned displacement is 7,291 tons.

One gas turbine engine, two electric motors and four diesel generators will be installed on the ship. The frigate can accommodate the crew of 200 people.