Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:19:19-2:22:47

Can the Constellation frigate escape the LCS legacy?

FREMM ancestry and familiar frigate requirements offer grounds for hope, while Sims and wartime destroyer escorts illustrate sharply different outcomes after difficult development.

Constellation Class FrigatesDamage ControlFremm FrigatesLittoral Combat ShipNaval ProcurementSims Class DestroyersUS NavyUS Navy Destroyer Escorts
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Question

Is there hope for the Constellation class when organizations involved with the LCS program are building it?

Short answer

Yes, but the outcome may be extreme: either another severe procurement failure or a corrected, conventional frigate that restores useful fleet numbers.

Notes

Constellation uses FREMM as a starting point, but American requirements have changed the design substantially. Familiarity with building frigates offers grounds for more confidence than the novel LCS concept did. Two historical analogies give very different possible outcomes: Sims-class stability problems requiring urgent correction, or a protracted destroyer-escort development process that eventually produced useful ships in quantity. The forecast ranges from a procurement disaster to a design that can be built repeatedly to restore fleet numbers. Continuity with the LCS organisations could help if they learn from earlier mistakes. A further source of confidence is that Constellation avoids the same extreme speed demand and problematic drivetrain associated with LCS.