Italian company “Fincantieri” (Fincantieri Marinette Marine) on April 12 laid the keel of the guided missile frigate “Constellation” (Constellation FFG 62 - “Constellation”) at its shipyard in Marinette, Wisconsin. The event officially marked the start of construction of the flagship of the eponymous new class of frigates in the US Navy, which are planned to play an important role in US national security, Defense Post reported.
Keel-laying ceremonies historically involve the laying of the center or main log that forms the backbone of the vessel, reports "Fox News". High-ranking officers and representatives of the manufacturing company were present for the laying of the first frigate of the class. The media quoted the shipyard's executive director Mark Vandroff as admitting that “the original deadlines [to complete the project] were 2026. We will certainly not meet them. The Navy believes that depending on how the manpower situation develops, it could be as early as 2029. But we believe we can do it sooner than that.
"Naval News" recalls that in 2020 the US Navy chose the Italian “Fincantieri” for the winner of a competition to build guided missile frigates. The new ships are based with some design modifications on the FREMM-class frigates used by the French and Italian navies. “Constellation” and frigates of its class are a critical next step in modernizing our surface ship inventory, increasing the number of players in the field available globally to our fleet and combatant commanders,” US Secretary of the Navy Carlos del Toro said at the ceremony .
“Defense News” gives details of the armament of the 150-metre vessel with a total design displacement of 7,300 tonnes. Armament is a 32-charge Mk-41 universal launcher (capable of firing Tomahawk missiles), 16 anti-ship missile launchers, one 21-charge anti-aircraft missile complex, 57-mm artillery gun, 324-mm torpedo tubes . Helicopters (manned and unmanned) for combating submarines are located in the hangar.
A number of media outlets have noted with concern the delays in the construction of the ships as a sign of looming problems for the US Navy amid a brewing standoff with China in the Pacific.
Although the US Navy ordered the first Constellation-class frigate; in fiscal year 2020 with the goal of getting the first ship in the series into service by the end of the decade, it is now becoming increasingly clear that the program could be delayed by at least three years and come at an increased cost, reports the “National Interest”.
According to the online magazine "Diplomat", which specializes in covering politics, society and culture in the Indo-Pacific region. the US Navy must deal with its unrealistic optimism. The publication notes that decision-makers have a habit of underestimating risks and overestimating their options, which often impairs judgment, and this can negatively affect national security. In this context, systemic optimism has distorted rational decision-making processes around the Navy's shipbuilding portfolio.
According to “Bloomberg” the shipyard building the new class of frigates has been hampered by a failure to “achieve sufficient levels of specialization and a skilled workforce”. The shipyard of “Fincantieri” in Wisconsin is experiencing “unprecedented poor retention, high turnover rates”, according to leaked Pentagon data the agency has accessed. It warns that the shortage of shipyard workers is much greater than publicly reported findings.
This is a problem, warns the British newspaper “Telegraph”: “If the United States goes to war with Russia or China before 2029, it will have no frigates to escort ships. He will have to outsource the task to a huge fleet of billion-dollar destroyers, only 73 of which are currently in the fleet – and on which the rest of the Navy also depends to escort aircraft carriers, shoot down ballistic missiles, and fire cruise missiles at enemy forces on land. In the role of “shepherd” frigates are needed for merchant ships.
"Breaking Defense" however, he does not think that the problems in the US Navy are only related to frigates. The publication cited a recent public report of major delays for key shipbuilding programs, with ships from nine programs behind schedule. In total, the Navy projects a cumulative delay of more than 11 years, at a time when lawmakers and Pentagon planners agree the Navy needs to modernize and grow for a potential conflict in the Pacific. Among the notable delays cited in the report: The first “Columbia” expected to be between 12 and 16 months late. The fourth and fifth copies of the submarine of the “Virginia” are 36 and 24 months late. The first frigate class “Constellation” 36 months behind schedule. The future aircraft carrier “Enterprise” about 18 to 26 months late.
Congressman Rob Whitman (R-Virginia) told Politico that “our country should be extremely disappointed to see such systemic delays to our shipbuilding programs”. “The delays we see today in these programs will have real consequences for our national defense as we seek to deter adversaries such as China, Russia and Iran,” he added.
The delays drew the attention of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. “The secretary is focused on increasing the capabilities and capacity of our shipbuilding industrial base,” Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement.“He continues to work with Navy leadership and industry to drive solutions that will reduce planning risk and meet our national security requirements," the department representative added.
With the US defense budget approaching $1 trillion a year, the need for improved shipbuilding and maintenance capacity to meet increased demand is critical, the US Naval Institute notes on its website. Moreover, Admiral Phil Davidson's warning of potential Chinese aggression against Taiwan by 2027 underlines the strategic vulnerabilities these delays could exacerbate.
Newspaper “Washington Examiner” gives an explanation for some of the problems. The Biden administration's defense budget ignores the need for spending on the shipbuilding industrial base and workforce. The Navy needs better capabilities and more accountability. Meanwhile, the publication believes that too many members of Congress are prioritizing job creation in their constituencies, handing orders to factories without experience, which negatively affects national defense needs. “Our fleet needs ships, not excuses”, concludes the publication.