U.S. Navy wants its new frigate "in the water" in 2028
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The U.S. Navy wants a new frigate "in the water" in 2028, according to Jason Potter, a senior service official.
Why it matters: It's a hyper-ambitious schedule, considering the previously commissioned frigate, the Constellation-class, was axed just weeks ago.
- That one was dunked on for cost, schedule and design bloat.
The latest: Potter, the Navy's acting assistant secretary for research, development and acquisition, on Dec. 10 told the Defense Forum Washington that the service is "building the Golden Fleet," which includes the new frigate. "To do that, we are changing how we build ships."
- "We are focused on high-confidence U.S. designs, built in the U.S., delivered to the U.S. government in operational use and numbers," he said, "with known performance, manning, maintenance, spares and training needs."
The intrigue: Breaking Defense reported the new frigate could be a modified National Security Cutter. The outlet cited two unnamed sources.
- The previous frigate, made by Fincantieri, was based on a design adopted by the French and Italian navies.
Friction point: There have been few good-news shipbuilding stories recently.
- U.S. shipyard output is dwarfed by Chinese competitors. And some of the Navy's most important assets, including the Columbia-class nuclear submarine, are delayed.
- "It is the fleet of the future that will decide whether we retain maritime superiority. The challenges we face are well known and they are not created overnight," Potter said.
- "Too often our programs have arrived late and over-cost, and, meanwhile, the demand for our high-performing fleet has only grown."
What we're watching: How the frigate work is divvied up — aka where the millions and millions of dollars go.
Go deeper: Navy unveils "ShipOS" with Palantir to speed up shipbuilding
