Capable naval forces are fundamental to a nation’s national security strategy. A nation’s Navy protects its home waters, secures its ocean-going commerce fleet from piracy, provides power-projection platforms to support its national interest abroad, dissuades adversaries and other vital activities.
Today, the United States Navy (USN) operates a fleet of 296 vessels out of 82 stations and bases in the United States and abroad. This basing arrangement allows the USN to maintain a global presence.
To bring up the Navy’s fleet numbers and take undue stress off of the Arleigh Burke destroyers and their crews, the Navy has initiated the construction of a new class of frigates.
The Arleigh Burke-class Destroyer Fleet needs to be supplemented. Now, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is one of the most visible platforms on which the USN operates. This class of multi-role destroyers entered official service in 1991; since then, 72 have been delivered as of March 2023, with 20 more scheduled to be constructed.
While the Burke destroyers are incredible vessels, they are not omnipresent and wear out. From keel-laying to commissioning, the average Burke destroyer takes about four years to enter service with the Navy. To this point, one of the Navy’s newest Flight III destroyers (DDG-125) was laid down in 2019 and commissioned in 2023. This is a very long time, considering that the Burke’s services, from fleet protection, maritime policing, and ballistic missile defense to sub-hunting, make them a continually needed asset.
Their routine tempo of operations leads to increased wear and tear. Additionally, smaller, less critical missions, such as anti-piracy or counter-narcotics operations, take these mighty vessels away from their more critical higher-end tasks, such as fleet protection, multi-national training, or dissuading peer adversaries from becoming too adventurous.
To top this off, the US’ No. 1 adversary, China, is cranking out high-quality blue water vessels like hotcakes. The Center for Strategic and International Studies reported that 70 percent of Chinese warships were launched after 2010, while only 25 percent of the USN’s vessels were built during this same time. The US still maintains an advantage in the number of destroyers afloat. That gap is shrinking as China doubled its destroyer fleet from 20 in 2003 to 42 in 2023.
What Happened to the Navy’s Frigates?
Since World War II, the USN has maintained a robust fleet of frigates. While less capable and smaller than destroyers, these vessels are tasked with fleet and convoy protection, scouting, and antisubmarine warfare. They are also adept at lower tier duties such as counternarcotics and counterpiracy missions as well as surveillance and interception missions.
The last class of frigates to operate as part of the USN was the Oliver Hazard Perry-class. These vessels had a fully loaded displacement of 4,100 tons, a crew of 17 officers and 198 enlisted. Its gas turbine engines could reach speeds of 25 knots, and it has a variety of weapons for antisubmarine and antiaircraft missions.
A total of 55 of this class of frigate were constructed, with the program running from 1975 to 2004, by 2015, the last of their number was retired. With the Perry-class sold or put in mothball, the Navy was left without a capable substitute for ten years. With peer and near-peer adversaries becoming more bellicose and smaller-scale threats on the rise, the Navy needs a new frigate.
A New Class of Frigate is on the Way
During the Cold War, at any given time, the USN had between 60 and 100 frigates afloat. Real Clear Defense states, “…historical models suggest that frigates should make up 36-73 ships of a 355-ship fleet depending upon the governing fleet strategy and mission focus.”
In order to add mass to the fleet, the USN is in the process of constructing a new class of frigate, the Constellation-class (FFG 62). According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), USN intends to purchase 20 of these vessels at an approximate cost of $22 billion over the next two decades. Realistically, the Navy should have 30 to 40 of these vessels, in order to free up the Burkes and take on lower tier activities.
The Constellation-class Specifications and Weapon Systems
The Constellation-class frigates will have a total crew complement of 140, with accommodation for 200. When fully loaded, the vessel will displace 7,219 tons, have a top speed of approximately 26 knots and a range of 6,000 nautical miles.
In terms of armament, these vessels will be equipped with 32, Mk 41 vertical launch cells, Mk 49 Guided Missile Launching System with the Rolling Airframe Missile, and one forward-located Mk 110, 57mm cannon.
Regarding combat tracking and surveillance systems, the Constellation-class will be equipped with the Aegis Combat System, Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar (AN/SPY-6(V)3F), AN/SPS-73(V)18 Next Generation Surface Search Radar, Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program Block 2 (AN/SLQ-32(V)6) and the AN/SQQ-89(V)16 Undersea Warfare Combat System.
Construction has Begun, but there are Issues
While these vessels need to be in the fleet now, the Navy will have to wait until 2029 to receive the lead ship in this new class due to construction delays. This is due in part to the Navy itself and factors outside of its control, primarily the dire need for skilled laborers at the Fincantieri Marinette Group’s shipyard in Wisconsin.
Skilled trade workers are in very high demand in the United States right now. According to a 2024 report by the National Science Board, by 2027 alone, the industrial base in the United States will require 360,000 new welding professionals. Further, a 2024 report by Associated Builders and Contractors states that 501,000 construction workers will be needed on top of normal hiring.
Fincantieri Marinette Group (FMG) is feeling this pinch. In order to get the Constellation-class frigate out of the ward and in the water, they will require 1,600 additional skilled laborers this year. This comes at a time when the company is struggling with retention issues, in addition to the shallow pool of skilled laborers that is plaguing the nation.
To address this, in 2024, the Navy has offered laborers at the yard $5,000 if they work through the first year of the project and an additional $5,000 if they stay with the company throughout the construction of the first ship.
The Navy has Been Part of the Problem
The Constellation-class frigate program is based on the European Multi-Mission Frigate, used by several European navies. The basis for this decision, was to save time and money, given that the Navy would not be designing a new vessel from keel to the crow’s nest.
In the process of adopting this design, the Navy has made modifications to suit its own purposes and unique missions.
According to the GAO
A year after construction was initiated on the first Constellation frigate in February 2023, the “…Navy implemented its unique specifications in 511 functional design documents—referred to as “contract data requirements list (CDRL) items”—to incorporate its weapon systems, more robust damage control systems, and a newly designed topside arrangement…” in addition to other modifications.
By February 2024 (half a year after beginning construction), the Navy and officials at FMG had approved 168 CDRL items, while another 343 awaited approval. While the approval process is ongoing, the Navy and FMG continue the strenuous task of working through the remaining items.
A final issue worth discussing is the unintended weight gain of the vessel. This issue arose due to the Navy initiating construction of the lead frigate while elements of the ship’s design, such as structural, piping, and ventilation, in addition to others, were incomplete. This was compounded by an underestimation of the difficulties in adapting a foreign design to meet the Navy’s operational requirements. This all contributed to a weight increase of over 10 percent for the vessel, well over FMGs estimates in 2020.
Summarized in 4 Words: No Easy Fix Here
The Navy needs to get its affairs in order, and the United States needs to reinvigorate its industrial base to meet commercial and military requirements.
The fleet needs the Constellation-class frigate in order to fulfill lower-tier missions so the Burke destroyers can focus on larger fleet duties. The Constellation-class will allow the Navy to be in more places at once, and aid in keeping up with the challenges that the Beijing will continue to present the US and its allies.
This cannot be accomplished with a decrepit industrial base, particularly a weak shipbuilding sector (in the Navy’s case). President Trump and his Navy secretary need to breathe new life or fire into the Constellation-class project to get it on track.
This will only occur when we strengthen our skilled trades and industrial base, this has to be an early priority of the Trump administration. China won’t wait.
About the Author: Christian P. Martin
Christian P. Martin is a Michigan-based writer; he earned a Master’s degree in Defense & Strategic Studies (Summa cum laude) from the University of Texas, El Paso. Currently, he is a research assistant at the Asia Pacific Security Innovation Forum. Concerning writing, he has published several dozen articles in places like Simple Flying, SOFREP, SOF News, and other outlets.
