US Navy's Latest Frigate Drifting Into Familiar Troubled Waters

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The CRS report mentions the Aegis Combat System and Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar as pre-existing systems to be used in the Constellation class, distinguishing it from the LCS, which struggled with immature systems, such as its propulsion system and multi-mission modules.

Emphasizing the need to replace the LCS, Andrew Latham argues in a February 2025 article for 1945 that even with missile upgrades , the type would be little more than a liability in a possible Pacific conflict due to a weak hull, a lack of long-range weapons, and limited endurance to contribute in a fight against China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) blue-water fleet consisting of frigates, destroyers and cruisers.

However, a May 2024 GAO report notes that the Constellation-class frigate's design has experienced unplanned weight growth exceeding 10% of the initial estimates due to incomplete design information and underestimations when adapting the foreign parent design to US Navy requirements.

The report mentions that growth has raised concerns about the frigate's ability to meet its speed requirements, leading the US Navy to consider reducing the ship's speed as a potential solution.

However, in a November 2024 article for 1945, Robert Farley notes that extra weight could make it difficult for the Constellation class to keep pace with US carriers and destroyers, and may also complicate future upgrades.

A CRS report from last month describes the operational roles of the Constellation-class frigates . The ships are designed as multi-mission platforms capable of anti-air, anti-surface, antisubmarine and electromagnetic warfare, enabling them to operate independently or as integral units within carrier strike groups, surface action groups (SAG) or allied naval formations.

The report states that the US Navy plans to conduct an iterative procurement of at least 20 ships, with additional ships anticipated under the long-range shipbuilding plan. Once production stabilizes, the phased delivery of these frigates will incrementally provide operational commanders with adaptable assets for both blue-water and littoral missions.

However, US shipbuilding capabilities are insufficient for the Constellation-class program's requirements.

A January 2025 US CRS report explicitly links design instability and delays with operational-level uncertainty for fleet planning. It highlights that the FFG-62 lead ship is now facing an approximate 36-month delay, more than double the initial delay reported, due to design workforce limitations and incomplete design work before construction.

The report notes that this is part of a broader pattern across multiple shipbuilding programs, creating what it refers to as an“extraordinary situation” unseen since World War II.

According to the report, these delays and the US Navy's inability to meet projected procurement rates undermine the access of combatant commanders to expected assets and complicate force generation planning.

Despite these challenges, the US Navy's persistence in pursuing the Constellation class underscores the need to reconstitute its surface force to counter China's growing naval presence and power in the Pacific.

Underscoring this point, the US Department of Defense's (DOD) 2024 China Military Power Report states that the PLAN is the world's largest navy, comprising 370 ships and submarines, including more than 140 major surface combatants.

In contrast to the Constellation class, which is still under construction, Eric Wertheim mentions in a Proceedings article from last month that China has commissioned the Luohe, the first Jiangkai III-class (Type 054B) frigate, signifying a notable advancement in the PLAN's capabilities.