US Navy nixes Constellation frigate program after two ships half-built

ROME — The US Navy is cancelling its Constellation frigate program following months of value overruns and delays however plans to maintain two vessels which can be already being inbuilt Wisconsin.

“We’re reshaping how we construct and area the Fleet, working with trade to ship warfighting benefit, starting with a strategic shift away from the Constellation-class frigate program,” Navy Secretary John C. Phelan mentioned in a put up on X.

Phelan mentioned that 4 ships beneath contract however but to be constructed by Fincantieri would now be cancelled.

“The navy and our trade companions have reached a complete framework that terminates for the Navy’s comfort the final 4 ships of the category which haven’t begun development,” he mentioned.

“We enormously worth the shipbuilders of Michigan and Wisconsin. Whereas work continues on the primary two ships these ships stay beneath assessment as we work by way of this strategic shift. Protecting this important workforce employed and the yard viable for future navy shipbuilding is of foremost concern,” he added.

Italian shipyard Fincantieri gained the contract to construct the frigates in 2020 at its Marinette Marine yard in Wisconsin, with the US Navy eyeing an eventual order of 20 ships.

The baseline design was Fincantieri’s FREMM frigate, which is already in service with the French and Italian navies amongst others. The U.S. Navy initially reported “fundamental and practical designs” have been 88% full.

However a March report by america Authorities Accountability Workplace claimed the U.S. Navy proceeded to order quite a few design modifications, which means that 5 years on, this system was solely 70% full and three years late.

“Because of these modifications, partially, the frigate now bears little resemblance to the mother or father design that the Navy touted as a built-in, threat discount measure for this system in 2020,” the report said.

“Now, in 2025, the continued redesign has pushed weight progress at ranges that exceed out there tolerances. Already the Navy is contemplating a discount within the frigate’s pace requirement as one potential approach, amongst others, to resolve this weight progress,” the report added.

In his assertion on Tuesday, Phelan mentioned, “The info are clear. It’s time to ship the ship our warfighters want at a tempo that matches the menace surroundings, not the consolation stage of the forms.”

In a press release, Fincantieri mentioned it anticipated to obtain new orders for “amphibious, icebreaking and different particular mission” ships to compensate for misplaced enterprise.

“On high of the aforementioned award of future orders, with a purpose to cowl the above, the settlement indemnifies Fincantieri Marine Group, on present financial commitments and industrial impacts by way of measures supplied by the U.S. Navy, on account of the contractual resolution made for its personal comfort,” the agency mentioned.

Fincantieri mentioned it has invested greater than $800 million in its 4 U.S. shipyards: Marinette, Inexperienced Bay, Sturgeon Bay, and Jacksonville, and now employs 3,750 employees in america.

George Moutafis, CEO of Fincantieri Marine Group, mentioned, “Our investments within the U.S. shipyards are a testomony to our long-term imaginative and prescient: to be a cornerstone of the U.S. maritime industrial base and a driving power to maintain the momentum of the nationwide shipbuilding renaissance, the American shipbuilding renaissance.”

Sources in Italy instructed Protection Information the work on the six frigates had been value $6 billion. Persevering with work on the primary two, plus indemnities agreed with the U.S. authorities, could be value $3 billion, whereas new orders deliberate could be value $2 billion.

Phelan’s resolution to truncate the Constellation program was praised by Senate Armed Providers Committee Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).

“I commend (the Navy secretary) for canceling the troubled Constellation-class frigate program — a troublesome however very important name. Biden-era design modifications derailed the contractor, however Fincantieri Marinette Marine will stay key to our shipbuilding future. It is a clear sign that Navy program administration is being mounted and accountability restored. Stronger Navy forward!”

In his assertion, Phelan added, “The Navy wants ships and appears ahead to constructing them in each shipyard that may. A key issue on this resolution is the necessity to develop the fleet sooner to fulfill tomorrow’s threats. This framework places the Navy on a path to extra quickly assemble new courses of ships and ship the aptitude our warfighters want in better numbers on a extra pressing timeline.”