"Announced on social media site X by Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, the decision means the Constellation class of frigates will be limited to the two ships currently under construction, instead of the 20 that were planned. Phelan said he wanted to reshape how the Navy builds and fields its fleet, and axing the Constellation class is the first step toward this goal."
"But after this design, known as FREMM, was chosen and even after the contract for the first vessel was signed in 2020, the Naval Sea Systems Command department within the Navy started to make changes. These continued even as the first ship was being built, until the Constellation class bore little resemblance to the original blueprints. It is understood the design has less than 15 percent commonality with the original, and the program is at least three years behind schedule."
The US Navy cancelled the Constellation-class frigate program and will limit construction to the two ships currently underway instead of the planned 20. The decision aims to accelerate fleet growth by pursuing new vessel classes that can be built faster to counter expected strategic threats. The Constellation class was originally based on Fincantieri's FREMM design and was contracted in 2020 to speed delivery. Extensive changes by Naval Sea Systems Command during development reduced commonality with the original design to less than 15 percent and produced at least a three-year delay. Construction will continue on FFG-62 and FFG-63 to sustain the Marinette Marine workforce, but their long-term status remains uncertain.
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