April 26, 2025:
The first of the new U.S. Navy Constellation-class frigates has been under construction for a year and is expected to enter service in 2027. These ships are being built in the United States by the Italian firm Fincantieri. The main reason for this is because the Italians have improved how prefabricated ships are produced. Constellations are based on European FREMM designs which make use of many prefabricated sections of the ships to speed construction at less cost. The United States used this during both World Wars to produce thousands of merchant ships and small warships. Currently these techniques are used to speed the production of nuclear submarines. The Europeans and Americans are trying to keep up with South Korea and China, who pioneered many of these techniques. China has the largest ship manufacturing operation in the world. The United States has the smallest, which is why European firm Fincantieri opened a shipyard in the United States to produce the new frigates.
Constellation-class ships displace 7,300 tons and are the sixth warship class to use the FREMM design techniques. The first FREMM type ship entered service in 2012 and 41 were built or on order before the order for twenty American Constellations came along.
The Constellations specialize in Anti-Submarine Warfare/ASW, while also equipped for anti-ship and anti-aircraft operations, and cost nearly a billion dollars each. The FREMM ships built so far have all specialized in ASW, Air Defense or something in between. The exact mix of weapons is still to be determined but Constellations are likely to be armed with a 57mm gun and 32 VLS cells containing a variety of anti-ship and anti-satellite aircraft and cruise missiles. There is a 16-cell JSM Anti-Ship Missile launcher, a 21-cell RAM anti-missile/aircraft system and anti-submarine torpedoes. Constellation has a variable depth sonar system as well as a towed array sonar. There are defensive systems against torpedo attack and a fire control system that shows all weapons available and the status of each. Constellations have a modified Aegis radar that can also provide Ballistic Missile Defense using the Aegis BMD capabilities many destroyers already have as well. This means the mix of missiles in the VLS cells includes anti-ship missiles, SM-6 anti-aircraft and SM-3 anti-missile missiles, or Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles.
The MH-60 helicopter can carry dipping sonars and anti-submarine torpedoes. Crew size is 200 and top speed is over 50 kilometers an hour. Service life is over 25 years.