Summary and Key Points:
The missile frigate USS Constellation is experiencing significant delays, which underscores major flaws in the U.S. Navy’s shipbuilding approach.
Originally scheduled for delivery in 2026, multiple redesigns and construction hurdles at a shipyard in Wisconsin—unfamiliar with naval constructions—have pushed back the anticipated finish time to approximately 2029 or 2030.
-Attempting to adapt an Italian frigate design led to extensive redesigns, increasing costs and inefficiencies.
The Constellation program highlights why the U.S. Navy needs to depend on local designers, established shipbuilding facilities, and steer clear of altering plans midway through projects.
-Delays create openings for adversaries, undermining U.S. naval dominance—a lesson the Navy cannot afford to ignore.
The USS Constellation Faces Significant Challenges and Unnecessary Delays
U.S.
President Donald Trump
enjoys boasting about the rise of American manufacturing strength under his guidance. Since his initial term, this topic has held significant importance for his administration. However, the arm-twisting and blustering proved ineffective, at the very least during
one naval warship
.
The 6,700-ton missile frigate
USS Constellation
has been a
comedy of errors
It is now many years delayed and would probably be somewhat outdated even if it were launched tomorrow.
Offer Wisconsin an Opportunity to Construct Navy Vessels
The
Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard
in Marinette, Wisconsin, won a $5.5 billion contract to build vessels for the
U.S. Navy
In 2020, the objective was to obtain the initial one.
Constellation-class
The frigate is scheduled for completion by 2026. However, the Constellation program is lagging by at least three years and might only become operational around 2029 or even 2030.
The Rust Belt Needs a Boost
The idea was to allow an American shipyard to produce the advanced warship, but to produce it in a state that is not usually associated with shipbuilding. This was part of an effort to create defense-related jobs in rust-belt areas that need an economic boost. The construction would establish bragging rights and demonstrate the virtues of modern manufacturing efficiencies by quickly building a quality warship.
The USS Constellation has a clear-cut mission set.
The Navy sought a new vessel capable of launching missile attacks against adversaries, safeguarding carrier groups within a strike force, and neutralizing hostile submarines. The Constellation was envisioned with an advanced Italian design and designed to traverse global waters, showcasing collaborative American-European production prowess.
Challenges in the Italian-American Shipbuilding Collaboration
The Constellation initially adopted a dubious design strategy. Rather than developing a fresh concept, it relied on plans from an already operational Italian vessel. This was expected to expedite the research-and-development process; however, this did not occur as anticipated. The Italians were confident that
Constellation
It could be constructed quickly, and they remained unshaken. They asserted that frigates similar to the
Carlo Bergamini-class
would be constructed within merely four years’ time.
The Americans listened to the Italians and were originally enthused. Shipbuilders estimated the Constellation could be finished by 2026. But the bureaucracy and inertia of the acquisition process got in the way. Plus, warships were not usually built in Wisconsin, and this lack of experience showed.
Design Tweaks Became Major Endeavors
The Navy did not help. The brass continued to make changes to the design, even after construction began. There were constant tweaks that set the delivery date back.
These changes were not small endeavors, though, and they quickly added to the delays as deviations from the original plans became more and more extensive.
“The hull was lengthened by nearly 24 feet. The bow was reshaped. The sonar dome was removed. The engine rooms were redesigned. Generators and switchboards, separated in the Italian model for survivability, were forced together in the U.S. version, triggering spatial reshuffles and weight increases. A new propeller was required for acoustic performance. Cooling systems needed enlarging, which in turn demanded bigger pumps – and more space. Ventilation had to be rerouted. Room layouts had to be redone,”
as reported by the Daily Mail
.
The Navy should have created its own vessel design instead, as it found itself struggling with the Constellation project. The collaboration between Italy and America has proven problematic. By completion, the entire effort will have taken nine years of work.
A key issue is a frequent shortcoming in American shipbuilding that I frequently address: The U.S. simply lacks an adequate number of shipyards equipped with skilled personnel. This scarcity is particularly pronounced in states such as Wisconsin, which does not fall within the “Gun Belt” regions where typical defense manufacturing activities occur.
Oshkosh Defense
In Wisconsin, however, this contractor primarily constructs wheeled vehicles. Shipbuilding is merely a substantial undertaking for the state.
The designers share blame for implementing alterations once features had been constructed. Clearly, the Navy remained dissatisfied with the Italian design throughout. This serves as a warning to procurement managers: when dealing with ships intended for the U.S. Navy, leverage the skills and ingenuity of American engineers and designers to create vessels tailored to our specific requirements. Reports suggest that less than 15% of the initial European blueprint was ultimately utilized. Although collaborating with European partners seemed promising in theory and ought to have led to positive outcomes, numerous issues surfaced unexpectedly.
The newly appointed Secretary of the Navy,
John Phelan
is aware that the U.S. shipbuilding industry faces challenges. “Each delay in ship construction, every backlog of maintenance work, and each inefficiency serves as an opportunity for our competitors to question our naval supremacy,”
Phelan told
the Senate Armed Services Committee last month.
Naval acquisition experts have learned valuable yet costly lessons in shipbuilding. Use
American designers
, build ships in geographical areas where there are more experienced workers, and stick with a design instead of changing things in the middle of the process.
We’ll eventually see the Constellation hit the waves, but the schedule slips could have been avoided, and like Phelan has stated in the past, American adversaries can challenge U.S. naval dominance when domestic
shipbuilding struggles
.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood
, Ph.D., is the author of
Do Not Look Away From The World: A Conservative Approach To Foreign Policy
and
People, Equipment, and Information: Upcoming Developments in Combat
In addition to those two books, Brent established and led a technology company that forecasted global events through AI. Previously, he worked as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and provided counsel on matters related to defense and international affairs. He has also instructed students at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a retired U.S. Army Infantry officer. You can follow him on X @
BMEastwood
.
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