Following significant delays sustained over time and cost increases compared to what was originally planned, the U.S. Navy has decided to cancel the construction of the new Constellation-class frigates that were intended to renew its surface capabilities, opening the path toward selecting and producing a new design that can be built on a more accelerated timeline. The announcement was made yesterday by the Secretary of the U.S. Navy, John Phelan, through a brief video published on his social media accounts.
Reflecting some of his own statements: “We are restructuring the way the Navy builds its fleet. Today I can announce that the first public action is a strategic shift in the Constellation-class frigate program. The Navy and our industry partners have reached a comprehensive agreement that terminates, for the convenience of the Navy, the last four ships of the class, whose construction has not begun.” Under the same agreement reached between the service and the manufacturer, Fincantieri Marinette Marine (Wisconsin), the company will continue with the construction of the two units that did start; namely the future USS Constellation (FFG-62) and USS Congress (FFG-63).
The reason behind the decision taken by the U.S. Navy, as mentioned in the opening lines, lies in freeing up its already strained budgets and domestic industrial capacity to focus on new classes of ships that can be delivered more quickly. As the official cited explains, the current need is to equip the fleets with a larger number of ships in order to maintain their ability to respond to global challenges faced by the force, while aligning with the broader restructuring process the Pentagon is undertaking to orient its acquisition processes toward more efficient models.
It is useful to recall in this regard that the U.S. Navy and Fincantieri Marinette Marine have made very little progress for nearly three years in building the first ship of the class, posting an advancement of only 10%. The situation worsens when considering that the initial contract to launch construction of the Constellation class was awarded in 2020, with more than two billion dollars already invested and more than five billion additionally budgeted by Congress—funds that must now be redirected to other programs, which currently remain unidentified.
A hint regarding the latter was provided by the current CEO of Fincantieri Marine Group, George Moutafis, who told specialized media: “Fincantieri has been a committed partner, and the Navy values this collaboration and our investment, and together we want to quickly deliver capabilities to the warfighters. Therefore, we believe the Navy will honor the agreed framework and channel work in sectors such as amphibious ships, icebreakers, and special missions into our shipyard system, while they determine how we can support new types of small surface combatants, both manned and unmanned, that they wish to rapidly deploy.”
A brief review of the Constellation-class problems
Knowing that the U.S. Navy has decided to cancel the construction of the future Constellation class, citing delays and cost increases, it is necessary to revisit the issues that have undermined the program’s development. In this regard, all attention points to a failed bet on modifying the original design proposed by Fincantieri: the FREMM frigates used by the navies of Italy and France. The logic behind this choice was to supply the fleets with a proven model that would accelerate delivery timelines, and that model was selected through a rapid solicitation process by Naval Sea Systems Command.
Problems emerged soon after, when the U.S. Navy began indicating the changes that needed to be made to adapt the platform to its own requirements—changes that were far from minor. As we reported in April 2024, about 15% of the original design would be affected by these modifications, including hull lengthening, a redesigned bow for improved stability, and new propellers to reduce the ship’s acoustic signature, among other elements. Altogether, this was expected to introduce up to a three-year delay at the time of the announcement, with approximately 1.5 billion dollars in additional costs.
Difficulties for the U.S. shipbuilding industry in recent years
Beyond the issues already mentioned, it is also important to remember that this is not the first failed project within the U.S. shipbuilding industry that has impacted the Navy’s long-term plans, both in terms of the number of ships available and resources wasted by Washington. Two examples—among a broader list of possibilities—are the Independence-class program (better known as the Littoral Combat Ships) and the problematic modernization process of the aging Ticonderoga class.
In the first case, it should be mentioned that this class was conceived as modular, fast, shallow-draft ships designed to operate in coastal environments and carry out anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and mine countermeasure missions. However, technical issues related to its propulsion system, hull structure, and mission modules plagued its evolution with delays and revisions, as well as the early retirement of many units. The Constellation class was, in fact, expected to take over the role left by these ships.
On the other hand, regarding the failed modernization of the Ticonderoga class, it is worth highlighting that a report published by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in December 2024 pointed to 1.8 billion dollars wasted by the Pentagon in the process. Ships retired before their modernization was completed reduced the number of units available to future fleets, while a tangled chain of command overseeing progress and questionable contractor performance on the technical side were identified as primary causes.
As an illustrative example, the document noted that the BAE Systems shipyard in Norfolk “used unauthorized materials, such as plastic film, common instant-glue tape purchased in stores, expanding foam, and a sealant product like the one seen on television.” This referred to the failed attempt to install a pressurized sleeve around the sonar of USS Vicksburg to address pressure loss in cables extending from the sonar dome to other parts of the ship.
*Images used for illustration only
*Translated by Constanza Matteo
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