In the preceding summer, Fincantieri Marinette Marine, the shipbuilder, initiated the construction
of the inaugural Constellation-class frigate for the US Navy.
This milestone was marked by the ceremonial cutting of steel at the shipyard located in
Wisconsin on August 31.
Fincantieri has scheduled the keel laying of the USS Constellation, the first ship of
the Constellation-class frigates, for this August.
This event will denote a significant milestone as it will be the US Navy's first frigate
introduced since the retirement of its last Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate in 2015.
With its anticipated arrival later in this decade, the USS Constellation will symbolize
the reintroduction of a relatively compact yet versatile ship class to the US Navy.
In this video, Defense Updates analyzes how US Navy plans to quickly ramp up muscle with
Constellation Frigates?
Let's get into the details.
The US Navy's objective for its fleet size is to reach 355 manned warships.
Among these, 104 will fall under the category of "large surface combatants," primarily consisting
of destroyers, while 52 will be classified as "small surface combatants," with 20 of
them planned to be frigates.
First announced in December 2016, the target of achieving a 355-ship fleet has been circulating
with ongoing discussions regarding potential variations in fleet size and composition.
Various proposals are currently being considered.
During the period from 1975 to 2004, the U.S. Navy constructed a total of 71 Oliver Hazard
Perry-class frigates.
In subsequent years, the Navy phased out the Perry class, initially as a part of downsizing
efforts, and later with the expectation that littoral combat ships (LCS) of frigate size
would serve as replacements.
However, the experiment with littoral combat ships has proven to be unsuccessful.
Issues such as maintenance challenges, high operating costs, and a lack of adequate equipment
have hampered their effectiveness.
As a result, the Navy has decided to retire half of the LCS ships, specifically the Freedom-class,
after just a few years of service, while the Independence class is currently undergoing
strict scrutiny.
While the US Navy has not operated frigates for nearly a decade, many other countries
have continued to maintain and build them.
China, in particular, possesses the largest number of frigates among all navies, with
41 currently in service.
Remarkably, 31 of these frigates were constructed after 2005.
Additionally, Russia's navy has made significant investments in frigates, which now constitute
a substantial portion of its naval force and are equipped with advanced weaponry like the
Kalibr cruise missile.
As a consequence, the US Navy finds itself in a position where it needs to catch up in
both frigate construction and overall ship procurement to maintain a competitive edge
in naval capabilities.
US Navy realizes that it needs to build the Constellation frigates fast.
To do this, the US Navy has taken into account valuable lessons learned from recent high-profile
warship programs that encountered challenges such as exceeding budgets, experiencing prolonged
delays, or failing to meet desired capabilities.
Notable examples include the Zumwalt-class destroyer, the Gerald R. Ford-class carrier,
and the Freedom and Independence-class littoral combat ships.
To mitigate such issues, the US Navy has adopted a proactive approach.
The utilization of the Franco-Italian FREMM as the "parent design" aims to save time and
prevent future delays.
Construction of the initial ship began only after 80% of the detailed design work was
completed, and the frigates will incorporate proven technologies instead of untested or
experimental ones.
Furthermore, the Navy has set a target for the frigates to be 90% complete before they
are launched into the water, ensuring a more streamlined construction process.
To enhance efficiency, Fincantieri has invested over $300 million in upgrades at its Wisconsin
shipyard.
These upgrades include the construction of a new assembly building capable of accommodating
two frigates under construction, as well as the integration of new robotic welding equipment.
These enhancements aim to streamline operations and improve productivity at the shipyard.
Also at a Senate hearing in April, Adm. Michael Gilday, the chief of naval operations, told
lawmakers, "I think two shipyards is in the plan.
We want to make sure that we are measuring twice and cutting once before that decision
is made".
The Navy's expressed interest in establishing a second shipyard strongly suggests a desire
to surpass the initial plan of constructing 20 frigates.
Actually, around 40-50 are likely to be built.
The Navy has outlined its procurement strategy for the first seven frigates, following a
"saw-tooth" pattern where the acquisition will alternate between one and two ships per
year until 2028.
However, there is a desire to enhance this rate to four frigates per year.
Although based on the FREMM frigate, the Constellation will have a longer hull and features modified
to meet U.S. Navy standards on reliability, survivability, maintainability, habitability,
and lethality.
The 496-foot-long steel ship will displace 7,300 tons and have a beam of 64.6 feet and
a draft of 18 feet.
It will be powered by a combination of diesel-electric and gas-turbine propulsion systems.
The Constellation class will feature a minimum of 32 Mk41 Vertical Launching System, canister-launched
Naval Strike Missiles, Mk110 57 mm gun, RAM Mk49 launcher, CAPTAS-4 variable-depth sonar,
TB-37 Multi-Function Towed Array, SQQ-89(V)16 undersea combat system, SLQ-25E Nixie, SLQ-32(V)6
SEWIP Block 2, SPY-6(V)3 FFG Radar, Aegis Baseline 10 combat system, one MH-60R helicopter,
one MQ-8C unmanned aerial vehicle, and two 7-meter rigid-hull inflatable boats.
So, faster and cheaper to build Constellation frigates would greatly enhance numbers as
well as bring in much-needed capabilities.