The U.S. Navy announced on Friday a change in its strategy for acquiring surface combatants. They revealed plans for a new frigate class that will be based on the Legend-Class National Security Cutter design from Huntington Ingalls Industries. This decision follows the cancellation of four vessels from the Constellation-class.

Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan mentioned that the Navy will adopt an accelerated approach to acquire the FF(X) frigate. This approach aims to deliver combat capabilities faster than standard shipbuilding methods.

“To build quickly and effectively, I’ve directed the acquisition of a new frigate class based on HII’s Legend-Class design, which is a proven American-built ship currently protecting U.S. interests both domestically and internationally,” Phelan stated. “President Trump and the Secretary of War have approved this as part of the Golden Fleet. Our target is to launch the first ship by 2028.”

This decision comes as the Navy faces significant delays with the Constellation-class program. On November 25, the Navy announced it would cancel four ships from the struggling program before construction started, while allowing the first two vessels to continue being built at Fincantieri Marinette Marine’s Wisconsin shipyard.

The lead ship of the Constellation-class was initially set for delivery in April 2026, but it is now expected to be delivered three years later, by April 2029. This delay has raised concerns regarding the timelines for modernizing the fleet.

Adm. Daryl Caudle, the Chief of Naval Operations, highlighted the benefits of using an existing design instead of starting a new one from the ground up.

“By using a complete design and production baseline, we can reduce costs and risks related to the schedule and technology,” Caudle said. “We know this frigate design is effective, it operates with the Fleet, and, importantly, we have experience in building it.”

The FF(X) is intended to be a smaller, more versatile surface combatant that complements larger multi-mission warships. While its primary focus will be surface warfare, its modular payload capacity and ability to command unmanned systems will allow it to handle a wide range of operations.

The Navy intends to utilize a lead yard and a competitive strategy for follow-on construction across multiple shipyards to enhance production capacity within the maritime industry. Shipyards will be assessed based on one key factor: how quickly they can deliver combat power to the fleet.

HII announced that its Ingalls Shipbuilding yard will be the primary designer and builder for this program. The new ships will be constructed alongside destroyers and amphibious vessels using the same production process as the Coast Guard’s NSC program. “Speed is crucial, and the NSC design is reliable and can be produced predictably,” stated HII President and CEO Chris Kastner, who expressed confidence that Ingalls can handle the program while also expanding the U.S. shipbuilding capacity.

The issues faced by the Constellation program reflect challenges noted by the Government Accountability Office in other naval shipbuilding projects. A GAO report from May 2024 pointed out that beginning construction before finalizing ship designs was “not in line with leading ship design practices” and cautioned that delays in design were contributing to increased construction delays.

After the Constellation-class cancellations, Fincantieri Marine Group indicated that it expects to receive new orders for other types of vessels, including amphibious, icebreaking, and special mission ships. The company highlighted that its agreement with the Navy ensures a steady workload and job continuity for about 3,750 skilled workers across four U.S. shipyards.

The FF(X) announcement is part of a series of changes in federal shipbuilding programs during the Trump administration, which has also scrapped the Coast Guard's planned eleventh Legend-class National Security Cutter at Huntington Ingalls and partially paused the Offshore Patrol Cutter program at Eastern Shipbuilding. The latest ship in the Legend-class, USCGC Calhoun (WMSL-759), was commissioned in April 2024.

These decisions come as leaders from the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard warn that the country's shipyards and industrial base are significantly lagging behind China's shipbuilding capabilities.