The U.S. Navy on May 18, 2023 exercised a contract option for a fourth Constellation class guided-missile Frigate. FFG-65 will be built by prime contractor Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM). The contract option award was $526,293,001.
First-in-class USS Constellation (FFG-62) is in production in Marinette, Wisconsin, and sister ships USS Congress (FFG-63) and USS Chesapeake (FFG-64) are under contract.
The Constellation class will have multi-mission capability to conduct air warfare, anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, electronic warfare, and information operations. Specifically, the FFG-62 class includes an enterprise air surveillance radar, Baseline Ten AEGIS combat system, a Mk-41 Vertical Launch System (VLS), communications systems, MK-57-gun weapon system countermeasures, and added capability in electronic warfare and information operations with design flexibility for future growth.
FMM on April 30, 2020, was awarded the contract for the design, construction and delivery of the first ten Constellation Class Frigates.
Program Executive Office Unmanned and Small Combatants (PEO USC) designs, develops, builds, maintains, and modernizes the Navy’s expanding family of unmanned maritime systems, mine warfare systems and small surface combatants.
Spec Sheet
| PRINCIPAL CHARACTERISTICS | |
| Length Overall (LOA) | 151.2 m/496.1 feet |
| Length Between Perpendiculars (LBP) | 140.9 m/462.2 feet |
| Beam Overall | 19.7 m/64.6 feet |
| Design Draft | 5.5 m/18.0 feet |
| Installed Power | 48,679 hp/35,803 kW |
| Service Life | 25 years |
| ACCOMMODATIONS | |
| Total Accommodations | 200 |
| Officer Berthing | 24 |
| Enlisted Berthing | 176 |
| WEIGHT ESTIMATE | |
| LS Displacement | WT (LT) 6,016 (6,112.6 tonnes) |
| KG (FT-ABL) 29.72 | |
| FL Displacement | WT (LT) 7,291 (7,408 tonnes) |
| KG (FT-ABL) 26.74 | |
| MACHINERY AND AUXILIARY SYSTEMS | |
| CODLAG Propulsion Plant | 1 × Gas Turbine |
| 2 × Electric propulsion motors | |
| 4 × Ship service diesel generators | |
| 1 × Auxiliary propulsion unit | |
| MISSION | |
| Combat System | AEGIS B/L 10; AN/SPY-6(V)3; AN/SQQ-89(V)16; MK-48 Gun Weapon System |
| Hangar | 1 × MH-60R, plus Unmanned Aerial Vehicles |
| Armament | 1 × MK-110 57-mm gun |
| 32 × MK-41 Vertical Launch Systems | |
| 16 × Naval Strike Missile weapon systems | |
| 1 × MK-49 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) | |
| 4 × MK-53 MOD 9 Decoy Launching Systems | |
| 2 × AN-SLQ-32(V)6 CM (SEWIP) BLK II suites | |