The Constellation-class frigate was supposed to replace the aging Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates now in service. However, last year, the US Navy warned that the program was running up to 36 months behind schedule.
The United States Navy may have yet another “hole in the water,” as in a problem that cannot be solved and into which endless money seems to be thrown. Such was the case with the Zumwalt-class destroyer program, and then with its Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). This should be far from uncharted waters for the sea surface, yet history seems to be repeating itself.
The Constellation-class frigate program is facing numerous delays and cost overruns. Even worse, no one seems to know the final design specifications for a ship that was supposed to enter service in less than a year’s time.
The Program Is Behind Schedule
The Constellation class was authorized to replace the aging Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates now in service, and the first vessel was initially slated to be delivered by April 2026. However, last year, the US Navy warned that the program was running up to 36 months behind schedule, and delivery was not expected until some time in 2029.
The problem could be even worse than previously stated. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) warned this spring that recent design changes resulted in the warships being up to 13 percent heavier than expected, negatively impacting the top speed of the frigates. The changes could also affect what systems can be outfitted on the warship.
As The War Zone previously reported, the program called for employing an “in-production design,” a radical concept intended to “reduce risk and speed up delivery.” Instead, the lead vessel remains years behind schedule, and costs continue to escalate.
The Navy Is Going Back to the Drawing Board
The root of the problem can be traced back to the decision to modify the Franco-Italian designed Frégate Européenne Multi-Mission/Fregata Europea Multi-Missione (FREMM). These multi-purpose frigates are in service with the navies of France and Italy, designated as the Aquitaine class and Bergamini class, respectively.
The United States Navy selected the FREMM as the basis for the Constellation-class frigates, seeing it as a quick and low-risk adaptation. Instead, the program office overseeing the design opted to alter about 85 percent of the vessel. That includes a significant lengthening of the ship, as well as major changes to the internal arrangements. Even worse, as noted, the design is incomplete.
Even as changes to the design were being made, in 2020, the Navy selected Fincantieri subsidiary Marinette Marine in Wisconsin to build the vessels, and work began in August 2022 on the lead vessel, FFG-62. As noted, that was even before designs were close to being finalized—akin to building a house without the final blueprints. Instead of speeding up delivery, this process resulted in guesswork, stops, and starts that could further delay subsequent vessels of the class.
As of this April, FFG-62 was only 10 percent complete, whereas it should have reached 85 percent completion by that point. Six Constellation-class frigates are now on order, apparently down from 10.
Has the Navy Lost Faith in the Frigates?
Construction on the future FFG-62 is continuing, but the US Navy has finally raised questions about whether the program should be scrapped.
Maritime Executive reported that there were no frigates in the service’s fiscal year 2026 (FY26) budget request to lawmakers. However, the US Navy has been under pressure to enlarge the size of its fleet to ensure it is ready for a potential war with China, and it could come down to the president to decide the fate of the frigate.
The Constellation class is far from the only bloated program that may see cancellation. Along with the US Navy’s F/A-XX, the sixth-generation carrier-based fighter to eventually replace the F/A-18 Super Hornet, the Constellation-class frigate may be a program that is not too big to fail.
Both the frigate and carrier-based fighter could get deep-sixed—which presents problems for the US Navy, as it needs to find replacements for both its aging Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates and the Super Hornet. But in the case of the warships, the sea service may be forced to either accept a design closer to the FREMM or start entirely from scratch. Waiting for the designs to be finalized before the “first steel” is cut might be the wiser course of action.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
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