Navy Cancels Majority of Constellation-Class Frigate Program, Shifts to Faster Shipbuilding

(Washington, DC) -- The U.S. Navy is canceling most of the Constellation-class frigate program as part of a major shift toward faster, more flexible shipbuilding. Navy Secretary John Phelan announced the move in a video message, calling it the first major step in reshaping how the fleet is built and modernized.

Under a new agreement with industry partners, the Navy is terminating—for convenience—the final four frigates in the class, all of which had not yet begun construction. Work will continue on the first two ships, though both remain under review as the service reevaluates its broader fleet strategy.

The Constellation-class was originally intended to be a quickly delivered, cost-effective frigate based on the Italian FREMM design. But extensive redesigns to incorporate U.S. weapons, sensors, and systems added more than a billion dollars in cost, increased the ship’s size and complexity, and pushed delivery of the lead ship into late 2029. At one point, the ships shared just 15 percent of their parent FREMM design—far from the 85 percent target set at the start.

Phelan said those delays and escalating costs prevented the program from fulfilling its mission as a rapidly fielded, affordable frigate. He emphasized that every dollar saved from cutting the remaining ships would be reinvested into readiness and new ship classes that can be built on a much faster timeline.

“I will not spend a single taxpayer dollar unless it contributes directly to readiness and our ability to defeat future threats,” Phelan said in the announcement.

The Navy now plans to redirect resources toward platforms that can be built at more shipyards and delivered more quickly to meet rising global threats. Phelan also stressed the importance of keeping shipbuilders in Wisconsin and Michigan employed as the Navy retools its fleet plans.

He noted that revitalizing the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base is a top priority for the administration and said more announcements on future ship classes are expected soon.

“The facts are clear,” he said. “It’s time to deliver the ship our warfighters need at a pace that matches the threat environment, not the comfort level of the bureaucracy.”