US Shops Allied Frigates To Close China Shipbuilding Gap

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After the Constellation-class cancellation, the US Navy launched the FF(X) frigate program, based on the US Coast Guard's National Security Cutter (NSC), with a planned procurement of 50 to 65 units.

But the first FF(X) version trades combat depth for speed: its baseline design lacks an integrated VLS and instead uses an aft modular payload area that can carry up to 16 Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) or other containerized weapons.

That limits organic air defense and anti-submarine options, while adding VLS and higher survivability standards on later flights could recreate the design churn that plagued the Constellation-class.

Japan's upgraded Mogami class, South Korea's Chungnam class, and Turkey's Istanbul class reflect diverging allied naval design philosophies in size, automation, and combat punch.

Displacing 6,200 metric tons at 142 meters in length and a 17-meter beam, the upgraded Mogami class is substantially larger than South Korea's 4,300-metric-ton, 129-meter Chungnam class and Turkey's compact 3,000-metric-ton, 113-meter Istanbul class.

Despite its greater mass, the Mogami class achieves the leanest manning profile with an automated crew of 90, compared to 120 sailors on the Chungnam class and 123 aboard the Istanbul class.

The Mogami class also leads in long-range endurance and magazine capacity, offering an 18,500-kilometer cruising radius on combined diesel and gas (CODAG) propulsion, a top speed of 56 kilometers per hour, and a 32-cell vertical launch system (VLS), while both regional competitors carry 16-cell configurations.

South Korea's Chungnam class uses a 16-cell K-VLS-II, a 127-millimeter main deck gun, and combined diesel–electric or gas (CODLOG) propulsion to reach 56 kilometers per hour and achieve an 8,330-kilometer range.

In contrast, Turkey's gas-and-diesel Istanbul tops out at 54 kilometers per hour on CODAG propulsion, with a 10,556-kilometer range, and mounts an indigenous 16-cell Midlas VLS, a smaller 76-millimeter naval gun, and 16 canister-launched Atmaca anti-ship missiles boasting an operational range exceeding 222 kilometers.

The industrial context is starker. China fielded an estimated 395-ship fleet in 2025, against 294 US battle-force ships, while Chinese yards produced more than 53% of global commercial ship tonnage, with US output effectively zero.

That disparity gives China far greater capacity to replace losses, expand fleet numbers and sustain serial warship construction over time. It is not merely a fleet-size gap but a sustained gap in industrial mobilization.

China's Type 054 has been one of the People's Liberation Army Navy's (PLAN) workhorse ships, with incremental design improvements since it first entered service in 2005. As of January 2026, China is estimated to have 40 Type 054 hulls in service.

The Type 054B variant displaces roughly 6,000 metric tons and measures around 146 meters long with an expanded beam, representing a substantial size increase over its predecessor to anchor fleet escort missions.

Armament includes a bow-mounted 32-cell VLS system, while satellite imagery of a newer hull suggests that subsequent ships may receive an expanded 48-cell configuration, alongside a 100-millimeter main naval gun, an 11-barrel 30-millimeter H/PJ-11 Gatling gun and a hangar-mounted HQ-10 missile launcher for close-in defense.

The stealth-shaped warship integrates a rotating dual-sided active electronically scanned array (AESA) primary radar, twin 24-cell Type 726 decoy launchers, and a comprehensive acoustic suite featuring bow, variable-depth, and towed-array sonars designed to support Z-20F anti-submarine warfare helicopters.