Would You like a feature Interview?
All Interviews are 100% FREE of Charge
A congressional report released Wednesday found that the U.S. Navy’s guided missile frigate project has design flaws that have stalled construction and delayed the delivery of the first frigates.
“The Navy had every reason to be optimistic that the frigate program could deliver on its promised timeline,” the report said, “but subsequent missteps have jeopardized the Navy’s ability to achieve its goals.”
To achieve its ambitious goal of purchasing and delivering up to 20 constellations,–The U.S. Navy has begun construction of its first frigates in an effort projected to cost more than $22 billion over 20 years. Before the design is completeBut that was a big mistake, congressional watchdog groups said.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office reported that the blunder led to design problems that would halt construction of the first ship, which began in August 2022, and lead to the frigate being delivered to the Navy. 3 years late.
“To reduce technical risk, the Navy and shipbuilders modified existing designs to incorporate Navy specifications and weapons systems,” the report said. “However, the Navy’s decision to begin construction before the design was complete ran counter to leading ship design practices and jeopardized this approach.”
In addition to schedule delays and construction halts, the Navy has yet to demonstrate the frigate’s propulsion and mechanical control systems.
But the report suggests that schedule delays and changes to the frigate’s testing process may allow the Navy to test these two unproven systems on land, which could result in fewer issues arising once the ships are at sea.
The future frigate is designed as a multi-mission capital ship capable of carrying air defense and offensive missiles as well as anti-submarine torpedoes. It is under construction at Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Wisconsin.
The report laid out five recommendations, including that the Navy prioritize measuring the quality of ship designs over the quantity of design deliverables and completing and evaluating the design before moving forward with construction of the second frigate.
The Navy accepted four of the recommendations and agreed to partially accept one, including updating testing.