Secretary of the Navy John Phelan announced a “strategic shift” away from the Constellation-class frigate program this week shifting the fleet towards viable alternatives that can be built faster and cheaper.
Under an agreement reached by the U.S. Navy and industry, the last four ships of the class have been cancelled. The remaining two, FFG-61 Constellation and FFG-62 Congress, are under review. Fincantieri Marinette Marine will continue building them to keep the yard’s workforce stable for future U.S. Navy orders.
None of the cancelled ships have begun construction, and the entire program faced a delay of over three years, from September 2026 to late 2029, according to the U.S. Navy and Fincantieri officials.
“Keeping this critical workforce employed and the yard viable for future Navy shipbuilding is a foremost concern. The Navy needs ships, and we look forward to building them in every shipyard we can.”
John Phelan, Secretary of the Navy in a statement on X
The fleet is transitioning towards faster procurement to grow the fleet on a more urgent timeline, according to Secretary Phelan. The cancellation of the Constellation-class will shift money towards new classes of ships that can be built at more yards at a faster pace.
The cancellation is part of a force-wide reallocation of resources and focus towards faster procurement and less red tape, all part of the Pentagon’s push towards more efficient spending that can get more resources per dollar.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has emphasized the need for more efficient and rapid acquisition to meet delivery timelines and urgency levels. Secretary Phelan has also emphasized the need for rapid acquisition as the U.S. Navy faces slipping timelines and setbacks across nearly every major ship class.
The U.S. Navy selected Fincantieri’s FREMM design as the parent for what eventually became the FFG-62 class. Significant changes to the baseline FREMM resulted in over $1 billion in added costs and three years in delay, pushing the lead ship’s delivery into late 2029.
Fincantieri planned for a frigate over 20 feet longer with a redesigned superstructure to accommodate American sensors and weapon systems. The result was a ship around 500 tons heavier with completely different weapons, superstructure systems, weapons, and engines. The Constellation-class ended up with 15% commonality to its parent FREMM, down from the goal of 85%.
With design completion delayed through the early 2020s, most of the Constellation-class was planned for entry into service in the mid-2030s and early-2040s, making the original acquisition plan of a rapidly procured and fielded frigate class moot.
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.
Secretary of the Navy John Phelan
