US Navy Awards Huntington Ingalls Industries First FF(X) Frigate Contract

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The Navy wants the first of the FF(X) frigates to be built by 2028—a full year before the first of the Constellation class, which the FF(X) supplanted.

The US Navy is moving forward with the FF(X) frigate.

On Tuesday, the Navy awarded Ingalls Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), a $282.9 million contract for the lead shipyard work for the new frigate.

Could the First FF(X) Frigates Really Be Ready by 2028?

The Navy is looking to have a capability by 2028, with a two-year design and production schedule. The process is made somewhat easier by the fact that the FF(X) is based on the Coast Guard’s existing Legend-class National Security Cutter, meaning new design costs are likely to be minimal.

Even so, the timeline for the FF(X) frigate’s construction has been ambitious from the start. In November, the service canceled the Constellation-class frigate after years of development, citing cost overruns and delays; two warships in the class remain........

© The National Interest