The U.S. Navy’s Constellation class frigate program faces significant challenges, including substantial weight growth and increased design complexity, which threaten its schedule and capabilities. The latest U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report from June 2025 indicates that the ships are at least 759 metric tons heavier than initially planned, a nearly 13% increase. This growth raises concerns about top speed, combat readiness and overall service life.
The lead ship, USS Constellation, remains only about 10% complete more than two years after construction began. Initially scheduled for delivery in 2026, the Navy now expects it in 2029, three years behind schedule. The ship’s design is still unfinished as of early 2025.
Why has the Constellation design changed so much?
The Constellation class was designed to leverage the existing Franco-Italian FREMM frigate design with minimal modifications, aiming for 85% design commonality. Instead, the design has diverged sharply, with only about 15% commonality remaining.
Extensive Navy requirements, structural changes and system additions expanded the ship’s length, width and displacement beyond expectations. The GAO noted that applying U.S. technical standards to a foreign design contributed to significant weight growth.
Navy officials and the shipbuilder, Marinette Marine, continue to work on reducing the weight, but the increased size and weight have slowed down design progress.
How is the Navy addressing program challenges?
The Navy has increased onsite engineering support at Marinette Marine to accelerate design finalization and production ramp-up. It is exploring options for a second shipyard to help meet production demands.
The GAO criticized the Navy for initiating construction before completing a stable design, a departure from standard shipbuilding practices. Navy officials have cited workforce shortages and industry-wide challenges, while Navy Secretary John Phelan publicly praised the shipyard’s investments in modernization.
Congressional leaders have sharply criticized the program for acquisition mismanagement and expressed concern about future budget and schedule adherence.
“The Constellation class frigate will be three years late and will take nearly 10 years to deliver the lead ship,” Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker said during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in 2024. “This is largely because the Navy cannot keep its requirements steady. Almost 70% of the requirements have changed since the Navy signed a contract.”
What does the future hold for the Constellation class?
Congress has paused procurement of additional frigates pending design stabilization. The Navy has yet to provide a firm date for initial operational capability. Key lawmakers are debating whether to continue modifying the current design or explore alternative approaches.
“The question is, are we at a point where we either quickly recover and get back on track with this, get back to schedule, get back to budget. I don’t know that you could make up schedule, or do you say, maybe we’re too far along with this and we go in a different direction,” Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., said at the Navy League’s Sea Air Space 2025 panel in April. “The Navy is going to have to ask that question now. It can’t push it off in the future.”
The program draws attention to concerns about the U.S. shipbuilding industry’s decline and tougher competition from foreign shipyards, particularly China. The Navy is expected to outline its plans for the Constellation class with the upcoming 2026 budget.
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Author: Ally Heath
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