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The US Navy has scrapped its Constellation frigate program, citing delays and redesigns as a major factor in the decision. The cancellation leaves America's Navy with a gap in its anti-submarine capabilities and marks a significant shift in the service's approach to building and fielding its fleet.
The US Navy has scrapped its Constellation class of advanced frigates program.The decision marks a significant shift in the Navy's approach to building and fielding its fleet.The program, designed to provide anti-submarine capabilities, faced numerous delays and redesigns.The cancellation leaves the US Navy with a gap in its anti-submarine capabilities.The Navy is exploring alternative solutions, including autonomous vessels like the Large Unmanned Surface Vehicle (LUSV).The decision reflects the Navy's willingness to adapt and evolve in response to emerging threats.
The United States Navy has made a bold move in its efforts to reshape its maritime capabilities, scrapping an entire shipbuilding program that was meant to deliver a class of advanced frigates. The decision, announced by Secretary of the Navy John Phelan on social media site X, marks a significant shift in the Navy's approach to building and fielding its fleet.
The Constellation class of frigates was designed to be delivered quickly, with the US Navy selecting an existing ship design from Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri to bypass the often long-winded process of developing a new vessel entirely from scratch. The program was meant to provide the Navy with a strategic shift away from smaller littoral combat ships (LCS), which had been criticized for being less capable than full-size frigates.
However, despite its design goals, the Constellation class has faced numerous delays and redesigns, including changes made by the Naval Sea Systems Command department within the Navy. The program's progress was hampered by these changes, which have resulted in the original blueprints bearing little resemblance to the vessels being built. In fact, it is estimated that less than 15 percent of the Constellation class shares commonality with the original design.
As a result, the US Navy has decided to cut its losses and terminate the program. The decision means that the two ships currently under construction will be completed, but no additional vessels will be built as part of the program. The cancellation of the frigates leaves America's Navy with a gap in its anti-submarine capabilities, as the Constellation class was to have been fitted with advanced sonar equipment.
The US fleet does have other vessels that can perform anti-submarine tasks, such as the Arleigh Burke destroyers and Ticonderoga-class cruisers. However, these ships are old designs that are due for replacement by another ship project, the DDG(X) Next-Generation Destroyer Program.
Ironically, a Canadian version of the Type 26 sub-hunting ships could potentially fill the gap left by the Constellation class. These vessels would be fitted with American-made equipment, including the AEGIS combat system, radar, and missiles. However, this may not be politically acceptable, and it is unclear whether they can be built quickly enough to meet the Navy's requirements.
The force has been experimenting with autonomous vessels for several years and could potentially use such a vessel as a replacement for the frigates. The Large Unmanned Surface Vehicle (LUSV) is a concept that has been explored in recent years, offering a "low-cost, high-endurance, reconfigurable ship with ample capacity for carrying various modular payloads."
The decision to scrap the Constellation class program comes as the US Navy faces increasing pressure to modernize its fleet and meet emerging threats. The Navy's Secretary of the Navy, John Phelan, has stated that the service needs to deliver ships quickly enough to match the threat environment, rather than being constrained by bureaucratic processes.
"This is not a decision I am taking lightly," Phelan said in a statement. "The facts are clear: 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."
The cancellation of the Constellation class program marks a significant shift for the US Navy, highlighting its willingness to adapt and evolve in response to emerging threats. While the decision may have come as a surprise to many, it underscores the complexity and nuance of modern military planning.
In the end, the US Navy's decision to scrap the Constellation class program serves as a reminder that even the most ambitious maritime projects can be subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances. As the service looks to the future, it is clear that innovation, adaptability, and a willingness to take calculated risks will be essential in meeting emerging threats.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/The-Sinking-of-a-Maritime-Mega-Project-The-US-Navys-Decision-to-Scuttle-the-Constellation-Frigate-Program-ehn.shtml
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/11/26/navy_constellation_frigate/
https://www.navytimes.com/naval/2025/11/26/us-navy-nixes-constellation-frigate-program-after-two-ships-half-built/
https://news.usni.org/2025/11/25/navy-cancels-constellation-class-frigate-program-considering-new-small-surface-combatants
Published: Wed Nov 26 08:26:11 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
