US Defense Department orders two additional Constellation-class frigates

The US Department of Defense has awarded Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) a contract worth over US$1 billion for the construction of the US Navy's fifth and sixth Constellation-class guided-missile frigates (FFGs).

The contract for the lead frigate and nine optional ships, which was awarded to FMM in 2020, has a cumulative value of US$5.5 billion and also covers post-delivery availability support and crew training.

Construction on the class' lead ship, the future USS Constellation, is ongoing at FMM's newly revamped shipyard in Marinette, Wisconsin.

Upon completion, the FFGs will each have a length of 496 feet (151 metres), a beam of 65 feet (20 metres), and a crew complement of 200. A combined diesel-electric and gas (CODLAG) propulsion arrangement consisting of a GE LM2500 gas turbine and four MTU diesel generators will deliver a maximum speed of 26 knots.

The ships will be capable of anti-air warfare, anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, electronic warfare, and information operations.

The Constellation-class frigates to be manufactured by FMM will be variants of the European Multi-Mission Frigates (Fregate Europeenne Multimissions; FREMM) designed and built jointly by French defence shipbuilder the Naval Group and Italy's Fincantieri for their respective countries' navies as well as export customers.