Particle.news
Download on the App Store
5 ARTICLES
·
last wk.

Navy Picks HII to Lead New FF(X) Frigate Based on Coast Guard Cutter, First Launch Targeted for 2028

The program leans on a mature Legend-class design to accelerate small-combatant capacity under the Golden Fleet initiative.

US Navy wants warships that move faster, hit harder, and stay small
Image
In this Aug. 25, 2020 photo provided by the U.S. Navy, an MH-60S Sea Hawk Helicopter hovers next to the Legend-class cutter USCGC Munro in the Pacific Ocean.
NEW YORK (May 22, 2024) The USCGC Calhoun (WMSL 759) sails in for Fleet Week New York, May 22. Navy and Coast Guard ships arrived in New York marking the beginning of Fleet Week New York. Fleet Week New York is a time-honored sea service celebration that allows citizens of New York City and the surrounding tri-state region to witness today’s maritime capabilities first-hand. The 2024 celebration will host nearly 3,000 Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Leah Moore)

Overview

  • The Navy confirmed HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding as lead producer for the FF(X), derived from the Coast Guard’s Legend-class National Security Cutter.
  • The service set a goal to put the first hull in the water in 2028 using a lead-yard followed by a competitive multi-yard production approach.
  • The ships are smaller, agile combatants centered on surface warfare with the ability to carry modular payloads and operate unmanned systems.
  • Leaders say the fleet has roughly one-third of the small surface combatants it needs, and shipyards will be measured by how fast they deliver combat power.
  • Officials cast the pivot from the slowed Constellation effort as a risk-reduction step in a shipbuilding enterprise the GAO says faces chronic capacity and schedule shortfalls.