USA Funds FF(X) Frigate Procurement to Replace Constellation Class

The US Navy has officially launched the program to build new FF(X) frigates.

This was reported by USNI.

The Command has signed a contract with HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding for $282.9 million.

These funds will be used to develop detailed design documentation and procure materials with long lead times.

The new warship will be based on the proven hull of the Legend-class National Security Cutters (NSC), which are being built in series for the Coast Guard.

A radical overhaul of the shipbuilding program led to the switch to the NSC platform after former Secretary of the Navy John Phelan halted construction of the Constellation-class frigates last year.

Adapting a design already proven in production will allow the Pentagon to avoid technical risks and accelerate the delivery of ships to the fleet.

The contract with the Pascagoula shipyard was awarded under a “sole-source” procedure without a competitive bidding process.

According to budget documents for fiscal year 2027, the Navy plans to procure the lead FF(X) ship in 2027, the second in 2029, and reach a production rate of two ships per year starting in 2031.

The Navy aims to launch the lead frigate as early as 2028, with delivery to the customer scheduled for June 2030.

Utilizing materials available at the shipyard from the previously canceled eleventh NSC hull will allow steel cutting to begin as soon as possible.

FF(X) Frigates

The FF(X) frigates will not replace the Constellation-class frigates but will form a separate class of ships within the US Navy. In terms of capabilities, they are inferior to full-fledged frigates and more closely resemble the concept of Freedom- and Independence-class littoral combat ships.

The 57-mm Mark 110 gun was selected as the ships’ primary armament. The ship will be equipped with a RIM-116 RAM launcher for 21 missiles and a module with 16 launchers for NSM anti-ship missiles.

Thanks to its modular architecture, the frigate can be equipped with alternative armaments, including Hellfire missiles for engaging unmanned aerial vehicles and surface targets. A 30-mm gun has also been installed for close-in defense.

The ship’s displacement will be approximately 4,850 tons. Its length is 128 meters, and its width is 16 meters. The maximum speed will reach approximately 28 knots, with a range of up to 22,000 kilometers.

These specifications indicate that, following the failure of the Constellation program, the US has abandoned plans to procure a high-cost vessel. The fleet’s priorities are also confirmed by the number of planned units. Thus, the US Navy expects to receive between 50 and 65 FF(X)-class frigates, which significantly exceeds the original plan for 20 Constellation-class frigates.

Problems with the Constellation Program

The emergence of the FF(X) frigates led to the failure of the Constellation program to build large guided-missile frigates. Since the ships were developed based on the Franco-Italian FREMMs, they were modernized for use by the US Navy, and compatibility was supposed to be 85%.

Due to constant design changes and the addition of new tasks, compatibility with the European model dropped to less than 15%, while displacement increased to approximately 8,000 tons. Along with the process of developing the variant and its exterior design, the Pentagon placed an order and gave the “green light” to begin construction of the frigate without an approved design.

Construction of the Constellation-class frigates was ordered back in 2021; however, problems led to a four-year delay, and actual progress on the laid-down ship did not exceed 12% over the course of a year.

Amid ongoing problems and delays in construction phases, the Pentagon plans to deliver a crushing blow — to abandon this class of frigates due to delays and rising costs.

To date, the department has spent over $22 billion, and the cost of a single ship is about $1.4 billion, with the price reduced to $1.1–1.2 billion for each subsequent one.

As early as November 2025, the US Navy canceled the Constellation-class frigate construction program due to production delays and the project’s failure.

According to the updated construction plan, the first two ships, which are currently in the early stages of construction, are to be completed by 2030, while all other ordered frigates of this class have been canceled.