Guided Missile Frigates: Constellation Class

[Pelican]

Constellation Frigate Delivery Delayed 3 Years, Says Navy

This story has been updated to include comments from Navy officials.

THE PENTAGON – The lead ship in a new class of guided-missile frigates for the U.S. Navy may be up to three years late, USNI News has learned.

Constellation (FFG-62), under construction at Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Wisconsin, may not deliver to the fleet until 2029, three years later than the original 2026 delivery goal, according to a service shipbuilding review.

The program’s delay came to light as part of the 45-day shipbuilding review that Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro ordered earlier this year. In addition to the frigate delay, the Navy confirmed delays in delivering aircraft carrier Enterprise (CVN-80), the lead boat for the Columbia-class ballistic missile nuclear submarine, and the Virginia-class attack boats.

In a one-page summary of the review, the service cited lead ship problems like design maturation, supply chain issues, and difficulty finding skilled workers as factors in the program delays.

The future USS District of Columbia (SSBN-826) is facing a 12 to 16-month delay, according to the Navy’s summary. Last month, USNI News reported that the Navy was looking at a potential one year delay for District of Columbia due to ongoing supplier issues.

Enterprise is facing an 18 to 16-month delay, while the Block IV Virginia-class attack boats are looking at a three-year delay. The Block V Virginia-class submarines, which are larger and feature the new Virginia Payload Module, are currently two years behind schedule. Delays for the Navy’s new T-AGOS(X) ocean surveillance ship, which Austal USA won a contract to build last year, depend on when the program starts new construction.

As for America-class amphibious assault ships, the San Antonio-class amphibious transport docks, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and the John Lewis-class fleet replenishment oilers, the deliveries are “late to contract” but “are stable and tracking to Program Manager estimates,” according to the Navy’s summary.

Continues https://news.usni.org/2024/04/02/conste ... -says-navy