US EditionNavy Will Build New Frigate Based on Cutter Design
The Navy aims to close a small surface combatant gap, building FF(X) frigates at HII’s Mississippi yard with the first hull launching in 2028, based on a proven Coast Guard design.
- On Dec. 19, Navy Secretary John Phelan announced the U.S. Navy will base its new FF frigate on the Legend‑class National Security Cutter and directed HII to build it at Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi.
- Following the Constellation cancellation last month, the Navy faced operational strains from recent deployments to the Red Sea and the Caribbean and a small surface combatant inventory only a third of requirements.
- Using a lead shipyard then competitive follow‑on acquisition approach, the FF class relies on the mature Legend‑class baseline, with Huntington Ingalls Industries / Ingalls Shipbuilding having delivered 10 cutters.
- HII has invested heavily at Ingalls to support next-generation systems, with over $1 billion spent and Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi constructing vessels alongside three major classes.
- As part of the administration's "Golden Fleet" concept, two Constellation hulls still under construction highlight ongoing efforts to deliver combat power to the Fleet fast despite earlier program cuts.
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HII selected to design and build new US Navy frigate
HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division has been selected by the US Navy to design and build its future small surface combatant, using a derivative of the Legend-class National Security Cutter, after issues with the FREMM design. The U.S. Navy has officially cancelled the majority of the Constellation-class frigate program, which was based on the Franco-Italian FREMM design. The new ship will draw directly on the Ingalls-built cutter programme, whic…
Navy selects Ingalls Shipbuilding, Coast Guard cutter design for new frigate program
The Navy has selected HII's Ingalls Shipbuilding to design and build a new frigate based on the company's Legend-class National Security Cutter, following the service's decision to largely cancel the Constellation-class frigate program. “The president and [defense secretary] have signed off on this as part of the ‘golden fleet.’ Our goal is clear: launch the first hull in the water in 2028,” Navy Secretary John Phelan said in a Friday announceme…
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