US Navy wants to add second shipyard to build Constellation class frigates; reach 4 per year production

[F-22Raptor]

Navy leadership wants to expand construction of its new guided-missile frigate to four ships per year as soon as practical, service leaders told the Senate Armed Service Committee on Tuesday.

By the end of the year, the service expects Constellation-class (FFG-62) shipbuilder Fincantieri Marinette Marine to have the technical data package ready for a second shipbuilder to start constructing more Connies, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro said in response to SASC ranking member Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)

“We’re actually waiting for the completion of the technical design package, which is expected by the end of this year,” Del Toro said.
“We will review it and at that point, we’ll make a decision on whether we have the ability to actually take that technical data package and make sure that it’s mature enough to actually compete for another shipyard so that we can have two shipyards.”

In follow-up comments to Wicker’s questions, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday said the service would want both Marinette and the second yard to each eventually produce two Connies a year.

“I think it’s very important … that we could get to the second shipyard and a two-a-year [rate] from each shipyard,” he told the committee.

Marinette started fabrication on the first ship, Constellation(FFG-62), last year after a $795 million award in 2020. The Navy exercised options for the second frigate Congress (FFG-63) in 2021 and Chesapeake (FFG-64) last year.

CNO: ‘Very Important’ to Add 2nd Constellation-class Shipyard, Build 4 Frigates a Year - USNI News

Navy leadership wants to expand construction of its new guided-missile frigate to four ships per year as soon as practical, service leaders told the Senate Armed Service Committee on Tuesday. By the end of the year, the service expects Constellation-class (FFG-62) shipbuilder Fincantieri...

news.usni.org

 

[James David]

Whohoo let's build 'em like those WW2 Liberty Ships!!!

 

[jhungary]

Whohoo let's build 'em like those WW2 Liberty Ships!!!

We probably don't need that many constellation class frigate...

 

[FuturePAF]

Whohoo let's build 'em like those WW2 Liberty Ships!!!

What about building them in Europe until a second yard opens up here state side.

They already have the yard open in Europe, people trained, and could really use the work. The constellations are based on the Italian variant of the FREMM.

We probably don't need that many constellation class frigate...

We need to maintain our VLS count as the Ticos about to be retired enmasse soon, if I’m not mistaken. Also the 32 cell 3000 ton unmanned corvette won’t be ready for a few years so we need to fill the gap.

 

[Bilal9]

What about building them in Europe until a second yard opens up here state side.

They already have the yard open in Europe, people trained, and could really use the work. The constellations are based on the Italian variant of the FREMM.


We need to maintain our VLS count as the Ticos about to be retired enmasse soon, if I’m not mistaken. Also the 32 cell 3000 ton unmanned corvette won’t be ready for a few years so we need to fill the gap.

Marinette Marine is building the yard right now in Wisconsin (and some in Michigan) and it should not take too long to finish. My understanding is major sub assemblies will be built in Fincantieri's yards in Italy and transported stateside to be assembled in Wisconsin. That is until Wisconsin capability to do builds from scratch get up to par.

For 10 FREMM the cost is 5.6 billion dollars, so 560 million per ship, not even close to the 1.8 billion per Arleigh Burkes. And the FREMM is truly a multi-mission ship, it will have 32 VLS Mk-41 for air-defence (SM-2/6/ESSM) which if the customer wants can add extra 16 VLS (it has the room), but most importantly it will have significant ASW and ASuW capabilities with hull sonar, towed sonar, 2 ASW Helo's and for engaging other surface ships will pack 16 NSMs.

Great FFGX choice for the US in my opinion, for a change. But will be matched by the Chinese in no time. Mark my words. Look at the size comparison though, I dunno if this is too small - or too compact, about twice the size of an LCS. Wonder how this design will fit into the whole littoral shallow sea warfare scenario, which the LCS itself was designed for.

This will be of great interest to countries which were considering FREMMs at some point to build locally (Bangladesh included). Fincantieri team has been to Bangladesh Navy HQ many times.

 

[FuturePAF]

Marinette Marine is building the yard right now in Wisconsin (and some in Michigan) and it should not take too long to finish. My understanding is major sub assemblies will be built in Fincantieri's yards in Italy and transported stateside to be assembled in Wisconsin. That is until Wisconsin capability to do builds from scratch get up to par.

For 10 FREMM the cost is 5.6 billion dollars, so 560 million per ship, not even close to the 1.8 billion per Arleigh Burkes. And the FREMM is truly a multi-mission ship, it will have 32 VLS Mk-41 for air-defence (SM-2/6/ESSM) which if the customer wants can add extra 16 VLS (it has the room), but most importantly it will have significant ASW and ASuW capabilities with hull sonar, towed sonar, 2 ASW Helo's and for engaging other surface ships will pack 16 NSMs.

Great FFGX choice for the US in my opinion, for a change. But will be matched by the Chinese in no time. Mark my words. Look at the size comparison though, I dunno if this is too small - or too compact, about twice the size of an LCS. Wonder how this design will fit into the whole littoral shallow sea warfare scenario, which the LCS itself was designed for.

This will be of great interest to countries which were considering FREMMs at some point to build locally (Bangladesh included). Fincantieri team has been to Bangladesh Navy HQ many times.

Both in the 6000-7000 ton category. Thanks for the info on the Italian yards bridging the gap.

 

[jhungary]

What about building them in Europe until a second yard opens up here state side.

They already have the yard open in Europe, people trained, and could really use the work. The constellations are based on the Italian variant of the FREMM.


We need to maintain our VLS count as the Ticos about to be retired enmasse soon, if I’m not mistaken. Also the 32 cell 3000 ton unmanned corvette won’t be ready for a few years so we need to fill the gap.

That's why we should focus on AB class flight 3 instead of this. It would take the Navy too many Constellations to replace 1 Tico.

This is for the low gap that can't fill by AB Class and to compensate the AB Class, majority of these ship purpose is either literal fighting or escort duty. This ship class won't be used to replace Tico, maybe to compensate and accompany the AB Class, but wouldn't have enough firepower to replace them outright, it was always AB Class Flight III task to replace the Tico.

 

[FuturePAF]

That's why we should focus on AB class flight 3 instead of this. It would take the Navy too many Constellations to replace 1 Tico.

This is for the low gap that can't fill by AB Class and to compensate the AB Class, majority of these ship purpose is either literal fighting or escort duty. This ship class won't be used to replace Tico, maybe to compensate and accompany the AB Class, but wouldn't have enough firepower to replace them outright, it was always AB Class Flight III task to replace the Tico.

We need an increase in the number of platforms as well as a way to maintain VLS counts. Isn’t there a plan to build an extra AB a year? With the budget the navy gets, it should be able to sail and chew gum at the same time; build both the number of constellations and ABs required to meet both number requirements.

Btw, how soon until the DDG(X) is expected to be built?

 

[F-22Raptor]

We need an increase in the number of platforms as well as a way to maintain VLS counts. Isn’t there a plan to build an extra AB a year? With the budget the navy gets, it should be able to sail and chew gum at the same time; build both the number of constellations and ABs required to meet both number requirements.

Btw, how soon until the DDG(X) is expected to be built?

AB Flight 3 are replacing the Ticos, 17 are under construction or contract.

20 Constellations frigates are currently planned

DDG(X) is currently slated to begin construction in 2032.

 

[MH.Yang]

Whohoo let's build 'em like those WW2 Liberty Ships!!!

If the USA can only reach the speed of WW2, then you are bound to lose.

Come on, keep up with our pace.

 

[jhungary]

We need an increase in the number of platforms as well as a way to maintain VLS counts. Isn’t there a plan to build an extra AB a year? With the budget the navy gets, it should be able to sail and chew gum at the same time; build both the number of constellations and ABs required to meet both number requirements.

Btw, how soon until the DDG(X) is expected to be built?

Well, the entire point of the Constellation is to compensate the off time of the 2 LCS class, and probably a complete replacement for the 2 LCS class once all 20 were build, which mean there aren't really that much of a rush for Constellation class to be double or even triple the time line because LCS is still quite capable of serving well into 2050s. Which mean even at the original timeframe, we are going to see both 28 LCS class and 20 Constellation Class serve up for a good 20 years. Unless the Navy is doing something drastic or stupid with the LCS. Which I doubted because they just ordered 1 each in 2020

What I think would most likely happen is that once the Constellation Class is in service in the next 10 years, we would either have Constellation serving with LCS in the US Navy or the Navy giving those LCS to the Coast Guard which is probably more suitable to operate them, and use those FREMM frigate in fleet operation with other big ship.

Tico is always going to be replaced with Flight III, which has already started, and we are looking at anywhere between 20 to 42 (options) of Flight III, which most likely depends on Naval Challenge offered by China or Russia or a third nation.

DDG(X) is going into production in 2030, they are supposed to replace the earlier AB Class, that are either too expensive to refit and too old to upgrade. Notice that they only have the standardised AB Class after Flight 2A, I am suspecting everything before IIA would have to go.

 

[jhungary]

If the USA can only reach the speed of WW2, then you are bound to lose.

Come on, keep up with our pace.

View attachment 925500

That is quite stupid comment.

Number 1.) China is catching up to the US Navy. Both in number and in technology, You would have to build more to catch up to US where it was 20 years ago. A bulk of PLAN ship are old, and when you do a comparation of USN and PLAN. You will see the following difference.

Fleet Carrier - US -11, China - 0
LHD - US -10 - China 3
LPD - US - 12 - China 8
Cruiser - US 22 - China - 7
Destroyer - US -73 (3 Zumwalt Class Destroyer) - China - 40 (30 of those are 052)
LCS/Frigate - US 32 - China - 43
Attack Sub - US - 52 (all nuclear sub) - China -58 (6 Nuclear Sub)
Ballistic Sub - US -14 +4 - China - 12

What China have more in number is 107 Missile Boat/Patrol Boat (which US does not operate) and 72 Corvette (Which US also do not operate). Those ship would have lo to no value outside littoral zone.

So, according to this list, even if US did not build anything from now on, it would take China 40 years to build all the Carrier to match the number in the US, 26 years for LHD, 15 years for Cruiser, 15 years for Destroyer to catch up to the US level.

Number 2) On the other hand, US ship building capabilities is a lot more than you imagine, currently the US Navy is using approximately 20% or 4 out of 13 shipyards to build ship, most of ship building works are granted to either Newport News, Bath Iron Works and Huntington Ingall, but a few more shipyard currently operated by the US Navy is not operating for Ship building, shipyard like Pearl Harbour shipyard (Currently only used for maintenance), GE Washington Electric shipyard (No longer build sub there), Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (Inactive, used to build Sub and Destroyer). And then you have Private Shipyard that can be used to build warship as they needed, places like Austral USA in Lousanna, Fincantieri Marinette Marine (the one that's building Constellation Class frigate) or Nichols Bros. Boat Builders that build LSC and Patrol Ship for the US Navy, and then if US Navy wanted, they can always reopen old closed down shipyard with minimal works. Place like Puget Sound shipyard and Philadelphia can both be restored in minimal time.

So why would we need to catch up to you when you are the one that have to catch up to us?? Our lead would be extended twice as long so you may never catch up to us.