Constellation-class frigate
An artist's rendering of the final Constellation-class design | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Constellation class |
| Builders | Fincantieri Marinette Marine |
| Operators | United States Navy (projected) |
| Preceded by |
|
| Succeeded by | FF(X) |
| Cost |
|
| Built | 2024–present |
| In commission | 2029 (planned) |
| Planned | 20 |
| On order | 1 |
| Building | 1 |
| Completed | 0 |
| Cancelled | 18 |
| Active | 0 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Guided-missile frigate |
| Displacement | 7,291 tons, fully loaded |
| Length | 496 ft (151.18 m) |
| Beam | 65 ft (19.81 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | in excess of 26 kn (48 km/h; 30 mph) |
| Range | 6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph), electric drive |
| Boats & landing craft carried | 2 × rigid-hulled inflatable boats |
| Capacity | 200 accommodations |
| Complement | 24 officers and 176 enlisted crew |
| Sensors & processing systems |
|
| Electronic warfare & decoys |
|
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | 1 × MH-60R Seahawk helicopter |
| Aviation facilities |
|
The Constellation is a class of multi-mission guided-missile frigates of the United States Navy based on the Italian Navy's version of the European multipurpose frigate or FREMM. Constellation follows the modular but troubled littoral combat ships of the Freedom and Independence classes. The U.S. Navy announced the FFG(X) frigate project in the United States Department of Defense's Request For Information (RFI) in July 2017.
The Navy selected five shipbuilders to present their design concepts for a prospective class of up to twenty FFG(X) guided-missile frigates. In April 2020, the Navy announced that Fincantieri Marinette Marine had won the contract with a modified design based on the Italian version of FREMM designed by Fincantieri. The project was later renamed FFG-62 program after the lead ship of her class.
The program was cancelled in November 2025, with only the first two ships already under construction to be finished and remaining four on order cancelled. A month later, in December 2025, it was announced that the design of the National Security Cutter will serve as basis of a new US Navy frigate program that is named FF(X).