Constellation-class Frigate
Admiral Gilday said, “When you lock in the design, you lock in the design, so when we start building the frigate, we’re not looking at adding any new systems to that ship. The delivery of the frigate needs to be the Navy’s SpaceX. It needs to come out right on time, within its budget, and with everything working right.” The U.S. Navy is working very closely with the shipbuilder to make the program a success. A lesson learned by the U.S. Navy was land-based testing of the frigate’s systems before incorporation into the ship and FY21 allocated money for land-based testing.
Representative Gallagher noted that the Constellation-class frigate program is critical, noting that the shipyard is okay and that the frigate manufacturers have experience. He views an issue may arise if everything becomes “Buy America” for future shipbuilding programs.
