First FF(X) frigate could be delivered to the U.S. Navy in 2028.

According to Defense Daily, Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) expects to begin construction of the first FF(X) frigate imminently, as the U.S. Navy is targeting initial trials in 2028.

On January 8, 2026, Defense Daily reported that Chris Kastner, chief executive officer of Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), said the construction work on the first FF(X) multi-mission frigate is expected to begin in the near term and remains aligned with U.S. Navy schedule objectives. Kastner also stated that the first FF(X) is expected to reach an initial trial run in 2028, allowing the U.S. Navy to field a new class of frigate more quickly than the canceled Constellation-class program permitted.
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The FF(X), derived from the Coast Guard’s Legend-class National Security Cutter (NSC), will be the first conventional guided-missile frigate class to serve in the U.S. Navy since the last Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate was decommissioned in 2015. (Picture source: HII)

The statement places the FF(X) program at the transition from planning and design stabilization into execution, following the Navy’s decision in late 2025 to restructure its frigate acquisition strategy. Kastner explicitly linked the imminent start of work to limiting design changes and maintaining discipline in configuration management. Kastner stated that the first FF(X) is expected to reach an initial trial run in 2028, a date that aligns with the U.S. Navy’s revised objective of fielding a new small surface combatant more quickly than the canceled Constellation-class program allowed. This 2028 target has been repeatedly cited by Navy leadership as a critical milestone for restoring momentum in the frigate portfolio.

The confidence expressed by HII’s leadership is directly tied to the decision to avoid extensive redesign and to rely on an existing U.S.-built hull form, namely the Coast Guard’s National Security Cutter. The trial milestone, therefore, serves as a measurable indicator of whether the revised approach delivers faster outcomes. The U.S. Navy changed its frigate strategy because continuous modifications made to the original Constellation-class program generated delays, cost growth, and design instability that pushed the lead ship’s delivery out by multiple years. As a result, Navy leadership truncated the Constellation class to the first two ships while cancelling the rest of the planned 20-ship run, and shifted toward the FF(X) approach to speed up acquisition and reduce technical risk.

Rather than pursuing a heavily armed, multi-mission frigate, the Navy has chosen to introduce smaller vessels into the fleet to help address gaps in escort, patrol, and presence missions that have been underserved since the retirement of the Oliver Hazard Perry class in 2015. But, because the NSC was originally designed for patrol missions rather than naval combat, adapting it into the FF(X) frigate constrains the integration of heavy sensors and weapons. Production of the cutter line has also stopped, meaning the FF(X) will restart construction from a design that is no longer in active serial manufacture, which could mean more delays for supply chains and workforce continuity.

For its initial configuration, the FF(X)'s weapons and sensors are deliberately limited to avoid cascading design changes during construction and early trials. Flight I ships are expected to be armed with a BAE Systems Mk 110 57 mm main gun, two 30 mm guns, a Mk 49 launcher carrying 21 RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles for point defense, and up to 16 RGM-184A Naval Strike Missiles for anti-surface warfare. The first ships will not be fitted with an integrated vertical launch system, will also lack anti-submarine warfare equipment, and favor a more rapid production schedule and control over comprehensive capability at entry into service.

By contrast, the Constellation-class, based on the Italian-French FREMM multipurpose frigate, would have a planned full-load displacement of about 7,300-7,500 tonnes, a length of roughly 151.8 m, and a beam of about 19.8 m, and included a 32-cell Mk 41 Vertical Launch System intended to accommodate surface-to-air and other missiles along with advanced sensors such as the AN/SPY-6 Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar and a robust anti-submarine warfare suite. As the future FF(X) is derived from a cutter, it will also be smaller than the Constellation, with a displacement of roughly 4,600 tonnes, a length of about 127.4 m, a beam of approximately 16.5 m, and a draft close to 6.9 m, and that will directly shape the internal volume available, fuel capacity, and seakeeping behavior. Propulsion is inherited from the Legend-class, combining diesel engines with an LM2500 gas turbine, allowing sustained speeds above 28 knots and an operational range of around 22,000 km (or 12,000 nautical miles) without replenishment.

Design changes from the original National Security Cutter are said to include the addition of a platform above the stern boat deck to support modular, containerized payloads and the operation of unmanned systems. This area is intended to accommodate swappable mission packages without requiring permanent structural modification of the FF(X)'s hull. Concept imagery has also shown a shelf-like structure added to the forward portion of the superstructure, which is associated with potential future upgrades such as vertical launch cells, directed energy weapons, or other close-in systems. While not part of the initial fit, these features indicate that any future vertical launch capability would require later block upgrades or modular installations outside the initial hull configuration.

The FF(X) program emerged after the U.S. Navy canceled most of the Constellation-class frigate program, which had been derived from the Franco-Italian FREMM design and suffered from extensive modifications to meet U.S. survivability standards. By 2025, the Constellation-class design shared less than 15% commonality with its parent design, contributing to cost growth and schedule delays that pushed delivery of the first ship to 2029. In contrast, the FF(X) approach is based on freezing requirements early and minimizing deviation from a proven U.S. design. The Navy has identified a requirement for 73 small surface combatants, making the timely delivery of a scalable frigate class a central force-structure issue.

Taken together, the current available information describes an FF(X) frigate that is expected to begin construction in the near term, remain closely aligned with the Legend-class National Security Cutter design, and target an initial trial run in 2028. The ship’s characteristics, armament, and deferred capabilities reflect a deliberate emphasis on speed, predictability, and industrial stability, as China’s navy, already described as the world’s largest by number of hulls, with an overall battle force expected to grow to about 395 by 2025 and to roughly 435 by 2030. Reports indicate the PLAN has built more than 40 frigates of the Type 054 series across several variants, such as the Type 054B. For now, China has been adding frigates at a faster annual pace than the U.S., which seems to struggle to renew and expand its frigate fleet.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.