Save our carcasses, they are worth billions!
What we're going to talk about: ships. And not those rusty American ships that so outraged Uncle Donald, although they are also in business, but those that were supposed to appear to replace the old and rusty ships of the navy. fleet USA.
About the so-called Constellation class frigates, or in our language "Constellation".
The Constellation-class frigates are designed to modernize the U.S. Navy fleet, filling a gap left by the aging Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates and problems with both littoral classes. Designed for anti-air, anti-submarine, and anti-surface warfare, the frigates promise versatility but have faced significant challenges in the form of delays, cost overruns, and increased ship displacement. In addition, labor shortages and technical integration issues further complicate production.
Accordingly, the lead ship is now expected in 2029 – three years later than planned, which puts the entire frigate program at risk.
While the Navy has no plans to abandon the program, critics are skeptical whether it can deliver results or become another costly failure in U.S. naval procurement like its predecessors.
The Sozvezdie class frigate is a promising project developed to combat modern maritime threats and increase the operational flexibility of the navy. Patrol multifunctional ships capable of primarily taking on the protection of the coastal zone (note - not a small one, on two ocean coasts) and supporting combat ships of other classes throughout the waters of the World Ocean.
The idea is good, the execution…
Despite the promise of meeting the U.S. Navy's future warship needs, the project has been plagued by delays and setbacks, leaving many experts pessimistic about the ship's prospects.
The Constellation-class frigate, designated FFG-62, is a new class of frigate based on the European FREMM multi-role frigate, which is already serving in the navies of France and Italy, and serving, it must be said, successfully.
Italian FREMM class frigate
When fully loaded, the frigates' displacement is estimated to be approximately 7 tons, their length is 291 meters, and their width is 151 meters.
The ships will be powered by a combined diesel-electric and gas (CODLAG) propulsion system, providing a speed of over 26 knots and a range of 6000 nautical miles at 16 knots. Armament includes 32 Mark 41 vertical launcher (VLS) cells capable of launching a variety of missiles, including the BGM-109 Tomahawk and RIM-162 ESSM Block 2. In addition, they can carry one MH-60R Seahawk helicopter and one MQ-8C Firescout unmanned aerial vehicle.
The Sozvezdie-class frigates are designed to perform a wide range of missions, including air defense, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, and electronic warfare. They are equipped with advanced sensors and data processing systems, such as the Aegis Baseline 10 combat system and the AN/SPY-6(V)3 Enterprise air surveillance radar.
Why does the Navy need a Sozvezdie-class frigate? Many are already pondering this question today, which should actually sound like "What holes will be plugged by new frigates?"
The future frigates are designed to meet several strategic needs. The emergence of a near-peer competitor in China has prompted the Navy to seek more capable and versatile warships. The Constellation-class frigates are designed to counter a variety of threats, including advanced submarines, surface ships, and Aviation.
Here we must understand that at present the US Navy is actually saying goodbye to four classes of ships: Ticonderoga-class cruisers, Oliver Perry frigates, Freedom and Independence littoral ships. And the duties of these four groups of ships will have to be somehow taken over by the Arleigh Burke destroyers (note – not new to the fleet) and the Constellation frigates.
Yes, we forgot about the Zumwalt-class destroyers, but the “irons” somehow never became full-fledged combat ships, so no one (including the American Navy) will cry over them too much.
And the much-hyped LCS (littoral combat ship) program was plagued by numerous problems, including cost overruns and poor performance of the completed ships, coupled with unreliability, forcing the Navy to look for a more reliable and capable platform.
The Constellation-class frigates are designed to operate in both the sea and coastal areas, providing the Navy with greater operational flexibility.
These ships can perform a variety of missions, from escorting carrier strike groups to conducting independent operations in so-called “contested waters.” Compared to larger destroyers and cruisers, the Constellation-class frigates offer a more cost-effective solution for many missions. Their smaller size and lower cost make them an attractive option for navies, allowing them to purchase more ships within budgetary constraints.
And this is not just a successful maneuver, it is a kind of “back to the future”. This is exactly how the Americans have already acted in their naval stories, when it was really necessary to plug the holes.
In 1941, when the famous events that involved the United States in World War II took place, the Navy had a choice in terms of what ships to build. And without thinking too much, American admirals chose a very peculiar method of solving the problem of a fleet that found itself involved in a war on two oceans at once.
The Americans chose the Benson-class destroyers as a mobilization option, as they could be built faster than the larger Fletchers, although the Fletchers looked much more preferable.
The Bensons have increased the number of depth charges and small-caliber ammunition artillery, reducing the number of torpedo tubes and removing one main battery gun, but all the guns were in completely closed turrets, which came in handy almost immediately: there was one war in the Pacific Ocean, with huge masses of aircraft, but in the vastness of the Atlantic there was a completely different war. In the Atlantic Ocean, airplanes were rare, but there was plenty of work on escorting merchant ships, searching for submarines and protecting combat squadrons. To solve these problems, the Fletcher was too expensive even for the richest power in the world.
Thus, 96 Benson/Gleaves-class destroyers made it possible to calmly build armadas of Fletchers, which already played their role in the defeat of Japan.
The idea with the "Constellation" is visible. While the "Arleigh Burkes" will take over the duties of the outgoing "Ticonderogas", which we have already written about, the "Constellations" will replace both frigates and coastal ships. This is clearly not an easy task.
Despite the promising potential of the new frigate, the project faced a number of problems and controversies.
One of the major problems facing the Constellation-class frigate program is the delay in design completion and construction. The Navy's decision to begin construction before the design was completed has resulted in significant delays.
The decision was more than controversial, and it has proven to be true. The lead ship, USS Constellation (FFG-62), is now expected to be delivered a full 36 months later than planned. This delay is largely due to the fact that certain components of the ship that should have been in production were not yet ready, even in the drawing boards. This led to disruptions in the construction process. The Navy's approach to starting construction with an unfinished design is not in line with best ship design practices and jeopardizes the program's schedule, but it is certainly too late to bite your elbows now.
The program has also suffered from significant cost overruns. Although, to be fair, this is not unusual for the U.S. The first ship was originally projected to cost about $1,28 billion, with subsequent ships expected to cost about $1,05 billion each. However, these estimates have proven to be overly optimistic. Actual costs have risen significantly, with some estimates suggesting the final cost of a single ship could be as high as $1,6 billion.
This 40% increase in costs has raised concerns about the viability of the program. It should be noted that the Navy plans to order 20 ships. A $0,5 billion overrun on 10 ships would be "only" $XNUMX billion.
Another major problem is the "unplanned weight gain" of the Constellation-class frigates. The ships' weight has increased by more than 10% compared to initial calculations. This weight gain is explained by design decisions and the difficulties of adapting a foreign design (or rather, a foreign-developed design) to the requirements of the US Navy.
The increased weight can limit the service life of ships and their upgrade potential, as future upgrades will require sacrificing some of the ships' equipment or performance. This was already the case during World War II, when the Defense The same American cruisers (and not only cruisers, and not only American) were parting en masse with torpedo tubes and seaplanes and the entire aviation structure.
This problem adds another layer of complexity to an already challenging design and construction process.
The main shipbuilder, Fincantieri Marinette Marine, has faced significant challenges in ramping up production capacity and hiring skilled workers. The shipyard is reportedly short of “several hundred” workers, which has led to delays in the construction schedule. The labor shortage has been exacerbated by the effects of the pandemic, which have affected the shipbuilding industry as a whole. The navy is considering various measures to address these issues, including the possibility of creating a second shipyard to speed up production. But the labor shortage is a real problem.
The Constellation-class frigate program is fraught with various technical risks, particularly those related to the integration of advanced technologies. The Navy has yet to demonstrate the full capabilities of the propulsion and control systems, which are critical components of the frigates. These technical uncertainties pose significant risks to the program, as any issues discovered during testing could lead to further delays and increased costs. The Navy is considering additional ground testing to mitigate these risks and ensure the reliability of the systems before deploying the ships.
Risk, and a huge risk. History knows many examples when almost finished ships had to be rigorously redesigned, and this did not always bring positive results.
What's next for the Constellation-class frigate?
The question is complex and has no clear answer. The proposed Constellation-class frigate program is a critical component of the U.S. Navy’s future fleet, designed to combat modern maritime threats and enhance operational flexibility. Moreover, its collapse would call into question the normal provision of U.S. maritime security as such.
However, the program has faced so many significant challenges, including design and construction delays, cost overruns, weight gain issues, shipyard and labor shortages, and technical risks, that it is difficult to predict what will happen next.
The future of these ships remains in question, with some critics arguing that the project has already been a disaster. With the first ship not due to be launched until 2029, time will tell whether the Constellation will become the new backbone of the US Navy or sink before it even arrives.
The Trump administration will decide what the “tomorrow” will be for the Sozvezdie frigates today. And we will, of course, find out what the answer will be. Donald Trump did not like America’s rusty fleet, but he likes billion-dollar spending even less.
However, if he really decided to “make America great again,” he definitely couldn’t do it without ships.
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