USA USN cancels planned Constellation class

[Ripley]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1993413279633285617

They wanted a frigate.
They wanted a frigate quick.
They wanted a frigate to fulfill specific missions.
They wanted a frigate to fulfill specific missions with domestic HW and structural enhancements.
They ended up with a frigate that was only 15% of the original design and initial requirements.
They ended up with a monstrosity.
They lost billions of dollars.

Feel free to stop me guys.

 

[Passenger]

Update of the cancell of Constellation Class Frigate Program

Constellation Class Frigate Program Cancelled By Navy Secretary (Updated)

The original plan to build at least 10 of the delayed Constellation class frigates has been axed by Navy Secretary Phelan.

www.twz.com

There is system failed of US industry, clearly.
If you want to build anything but not just apply for budget, the technical bureaucrats are essential.

 

[oldcpu]

Many news sources are picking up on this story:

Constellation Class Frigate Program Cancelled By Navy Secretary

I believe this cancellation a mistake. My hope is in 6 months to a year, the USN will recognize the cancellation (despite the cost over-runs) was a mistake, and reverse the cancellation decision. But egos and careers can be involved, so that 'hope' is probably unlikely.

In that case (no decision reversal) I hope that the USN comes up with a suitable replacement plan/strategy.
.

 

[Nilgiri]

Many news sources are picking up on this story:

Constellation Class Frigate Program Cancelled By Navy Secretary

I believe this cancellation a mistake. My hope is in 6 months to a year, the USN will recognize the cancellation (despite the cost over-runs) was a mistake, and reverse the cancellation decision. But egos and careers can be involved, so that 'hope' is probably unlikely.

In that case (no decision reversal) I hope that the USN comes up with a suitable replacement plan/strategy.
.

I doubt the cancellation will be reversed.

They want the "survivability" of Burke at this tonnage class...this is how the project management once again failed after italian FREMM picked. Trying to change and do too much and then surprise pikachu face at cost escalation....and the entire thing gets scrapped.

Given burke flight 3 , they probably should just have worked to build more Burkes.

Like a burke 3 and burke 4 (say optimized to more ASW) concurrently. Compared to burking something else and wasting time and scrapping it without the production envisaged.

Now they say the interim will be much smaller/unmanned stuff to take up the slack. This is after the LCS lower tonnage approach already got scrapped (and argument to consolidate that into FFG). Sigh.

 

[Nilgiri]

He goes into it in really good detail:

 

[oldcpu]

I do not for 1 second believe the USN will choose a Type-26 to replace the Constellation class. The Type-26 are close to being the same size of the Arleigh Burke class destroyer and almost as expensive.

Having typed that, never the less, I did find this article of interest - where the article speculates on the Canadian River Class (Type-26 variant) potentially being suited for the USN.

Again, my view? its not going to happen. For one thing, I believe the USN is looking for a much smaller warship than the Type-26 for the Constellation class replacement.

Here is the article: After Constellation: Why the U.S. Navy Needs a Little Maple in Its DNA

 

[uçuyorum]

What about İstif class

 

[Ripley]

What about İstif class

The USN requirements from fire protectio, safety to mission profiles, from EW suites, HW to weapons systems are next to absurd for a frigate hull. No matter how you define a frigate.
In modern sense, it’s not easy to define a frigate by its tonnage, size or strike capability or purpose. And they want to squeeze all within an inexpensive program, hence a frigate.

The US yards churning out Burkes for decades now. And looks like navy would love an iteration, a lighter flight of the vessel. Maybe they should go for a lighter flight of Burke.

EDIT: Not Perry of course, I meant Burke.

 

[uçuyorum]

The USN requirements from fire protectio, safety to mission profiles, from EW suites, HW to weapons systems are next to absurd for a frigate hull. No matter how you define a frigate.
In modern sense, it’s not easy to define a frigate by its tonnage, size or strike capability or purpose. And they want to squeeze all within an inexpensive program, hence a frigate.

The US yards churning out Perries for decades now. And looks like navy would love an iteration, a lighter flight of the vessel. Maybe they should go for a lighter flight of Perry.

Do they realize bulk of cost come from the systems and the boat is a fraction of the cost? A frigate with Burke payload is gonna cost like 80-90% of Burke

 

[mehmed beg]

God knows what these people are up to?
Imagine to create a stealth ship ,tasked to bombard coastal installations, using 155mm cannons? Even at that, how many of those? 2 or 3?
So someone builds the ships, each worth 4 to 5 bn in licenses in order to face some navy with Anadolu Hisar cannons???
And no one even sniffs a jail cell , even for a minute.

 

[oldcpu]

According to gCaptain, the USN has been directed to go for a modified Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Legend-Class National Security Cutter design.

That article claims:

Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan confirmed the service will acquire the FF(X) frigate using what he described as an accelerated approach designed to deliver combat power faster than traditional shipbuilding programs.

“To deliver at speed and scale, I’ve directed the acquisition of a new frigate class based on HII’s Legend-Class National Security Cutter design: a proven, American-built ship that has been protecting U.S. interests at home and abroad,” Phelan said in the announcement. “President Trump and the Secretary of War have signed off on this as part of the Golden Fleet. Our goal is clear: launch the first hull in the water in 2028.”

The WarZone also has an article on this.

 

[oldcpu]

I am not convinced I fully understand all of what is transpiring here. This is not all that it seems (or is it) ??

The Coast Guard Contract for the Legend-class was purportedly already cancelled prior to this recent decision for the Navy to procure a modification of these Coast Guard cutters!

I read that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) cancelled the specific contract for the 11th Legend-class NSC, the planned USCGC Friedman (WMSL-760), on June 5, 2025. The reason given was the vessel was significantly overdue and over budget; though construction began in 2021, it was nowhere near completion by its 2024 deadline. Purportedly the Coast Guard fleet was thus capped at 10 active vessels, with the final ship, USCGC Calhoun, having entered service in April 2024.

Here is a reference:
Ingalls, Coast Guard Scrap 11th National Security Cutter Over Contract Impasse, Says HII

And then now we are seeing, this same (overdue/overbudge) Legend class Coast Guard cutter, being selected by the US Navy.

This does lead one to speculate that the US Navy decision may in no small part be due to a plan to assist the shipyard and naval construction industry to keep the overdue and over-budget Legend class production continuing.