US Navy retains first six Constellation-class frigates in FY2026 budget to strengthen fleet coverage.

On July 3, 2025, the U.S. Navy released its Fiscal Year 2026 budget justification, confirming that while the Constellation-class guided-missile frigate program remains active, no funding has been allocated for a new ship in FY2026. However, the justification confirms that the first six ships of the class are still planned, with construction activities ongoing under previously awarded contracts.
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The US Navy's 30-year shipbuilding plan as of FY2025 anticipates at least 20 Constellation-class frigates, with some plans envisioning up to 58 frigates under a “Flight II” evolution. (Picture source: US Navy)

The FY2026 budget justification states that the Constellation-class is intended to support the National Defense Strategy across the full range of military operations by executing anti-air warfare (AAW), anti-submarine warfare (ASW), surface warfare (SUW), electronic warfare/information operations (EW/IO), and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The ship is described as a multi-mission small surface combatant intended to function in increasingly complex maritime warfare environments, capable of operating independently or as part of larger surface action groups or strike groups led by large surface combatants.

The FY2026 budget justification also details the survivability features designed as key requirements for the Constellation-class frigate. The ship must include shock resistance for selected systems to underwater explosions, armor and ballistic protection in designated spaces, and blast- and fire-resistant structure in other specific areas. Vulnerability reduction features are incorporated into vital hull, mechanical, and electrical systems, including system redundancy, physical separation, and the ability to isolate damage. Additional survivability elements include chemical, biological, and radiological defense systems, as well as radar cross section (RCS), infrared (IR), and underwater electromagnetic signature reduction measures. These survivability standards are outlined as essential for ensuring the ship can withstand hostile environments and sustain operations.

The FY2026 submission confirms that the Constellation-class will integrate a broad suite of Navy-standard warfare systems. The ship will be equipped with the AN/SPY-6(V)3 Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar, a variant of the radar deployed on DDG-51 Flight III destroyers; the AN/SPS-73(V)18 Next Generation Surface Search Radar; and undersea warfare systems such as the AN/SQQ-89(V)16 combat suite and the AN/SLQ-25 NIXIE torpedo countermeasure. The ship will be armed with a 32-cell Mk 41 Vertical Launch System capable of firing Standard Missiles and Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles, a 21-cell RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile launcher, a 57 mm Mk 110 gun using Advanced Low-Cost Munition Ordnance (ALaMO), and 16 over-the-horizon Naval Strike Missiles. For aviation support, each frigate will be equipped with a hangar and flight deck supporting both the MH-60R Seahawk and the MQ-8C Fire Scout vertical take-off and landing unmanned aerial vehicle, managed by the MD-4A mission control system. The propulsion architecture is also a major departure from previous U.S. Navy designs, with a Combined Diesel-Electric and Gas (CODLAG) configuration offering efficient cruising and rapid response capability, backed by two electric propulsion motors and one General Electric LM2500+G4 gas turbine.

The FY26 budget also provides detailed insight into the program’s developmental testing status. In April 2020, the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) approved the Live Fire Test and Evaluation Alternate Plan, which permitted the program to waive full-up system-level testing while continuing to Milestone B. The approved plan includes Full Ship Shock Trials as a method to assess shock survivability but leaves open the option for alternative testing methods, subject to review and approval in coordination with the Navy. In June 2020, DOT&E approved the Test and Evaluation Master Plan (TEMP) for the Constellation-class, except for the strategy addressing the ship’s AAW capability, which remains deferred to a later TEMP update. The Navy intends to rely on AAW testing data from other platforms, including the DDG-51 Flight III destroyer. DOT&E and the GAO have expressed concerns that while some elements of the two combat systems are similar, differences in end-to-end performance have not been sufficiently addressed. The Navy’s strategy is dependent on successful testing in five programs not yet fully resourced or approved: the Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar, Aegis Weapon System (Flight III variant), Standard Missile-2 Block IIIC, ESSM Block 2, and RAM Block 2A/2B. DOT&E states that without sufficient documentation on scope, resources, and schedule, the approach does not yet offer adequate test coverage.

The Constellation-class program originated in 2017 as the FFG(X) initiative to field a new guided-missile frigate to supplement and eventually replace the troubled Littoral Combat Ships (LCS). The Navy opted to adapt a foreign parent design and selected Fincantieri Marinette Marine’s FREMM-derived proposal in April 2020. The initial contract covered detailed design and construction of the lead ship and up to nine option ships. According to the March 2025 Congressional Research Service report, the Navy has procured six FFG-62-class frigates through FY2024. In its FY2025 request, the Navy sought $1.1704 billion to procure the seventh ship and planned six more ships through FY2029 on a 2-1-2-1 annual sequence. Although the 2025 30-year shipbuilding plan calls for 58 total frigates of Flight I and potential Flight II configurations, this figure includes both the existing baseline and future modified versions. The program continues under a fixed-price incentive (firm target) contract for the first 10 ships.

According to the May 2024 GAO report, the delivery date for the lead ship, originally April 2026, is now delayed by 36 months, with delivery projected in April 2029. The delay is attributed to the Navy’s decision to begin construction before the design was finalized, a practice inconsistent with leading industry standards. This has resulted in mounting delays and disrupted construction activities. As of April 2025, USS Constellation was only 10 percent complete, and the final design had not yet been fully approved. The shipbuilder, Fincantieri Marinette Marine, is managing three shipbuilding programs simultaneously and has encountered challenges with workforce hiring and retention. The GAO has warned that unless the design stability metric, which currently tracks quantity of documents rather than their quality, is improved before building subsequent ships, future vessels may suffer similar delays and disruptions. In parallel, Congress has raised additional oversight questions regarding the potential for cost growth after the first 10 ships and whether to introduce a second production yard.

USS Constellation (FFG-62) is the lead ship of the Constellation-class and the fifth U.S. Navy ship to carry that name. It honors one of the original six frigates authorized by Congress in 1794. Construction of the ship began in August 2022, and the keel was laid on April 12, 2024. The ship is being built by Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Wisconsin and is planned to be homeported at Naval Station Everett, Washington, along with the first 12 ships of the class. The vessel is 151.18 meters long, with a beam of 19.81 meters and a draft of 5.49 meters. It has a displacement of approximately 7,400 short tons and uses a Combined diesel-electric and Gas propulsion system. The ship’s range is 6,000 nautical miles at 16 knots on electric drive, and it can exceed 26 knots at maximum speed. The ship can accommodate 200 personnel and is equipped with aviation facilities for one MH-60R and one MQ-8C, along with handling systems compatible with night vision devices.

The Constellation-class is intended to provide the U.S. Navy with a surface combatant capable of addressing mid-range threats in both blue water and littoral zones. Designed to operate within carrier strike groups or independently, the class is expected to conduct a broad array of missions, including escort of high-value units, convoy protection, and networked surface warfare using Cooperative Engagement Capability. By integrating a new propulsion system, a mix of mature sensor and weapon systems, and a survivability architecture adapted for modern maritime threats, the class aims to deliver a more balanced and capable platform in comparison to previous small surface combatants. Its contributions to fleet operations are aligned with distributed maritime operations doctrine and are structured to enhance the Navy’s ability to manage multi-domain threats while optimizing acquisition cost and technical risk through adaptation of a proven parent design.