In a video message released on its social media channels, the Secretary of the US Navy, John Phelan, announced the development and construction of a new class of frigates based on the LEGEND-class design by Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII - a “proven, U.S.-built” vessel already in service with the U.S. Coast Guard in 10 units. The announcement follows the late-November decision to rescope the CONSTELLATION-class frigate programme.

The decision is driven by the need to anchor the US Navy’s frigate component to a fully domestic solution, supported by American workers and suppliers and underpinned by a mature logistics and maintenance network, without reliance on foreign companies - thereby strengthening the national industrial base. This requirement is compounded by the urgency to close the gap in so-called small surface combatants. The Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Darry Caudle, noted that recent operations “from the Red Sea to the Caribbean have made the requirement undeniable: today, the inventory of small surface combatants is only one third of what we would need.” A shortfall rooted in the difficulties of previous programmes, including the downsizing of the LCS fleet and delays in the CONSTELLATION programme.

Regarding the choice of the new design, Adm. Caudle added: “We know this frigate design works, we know it operates with the fleet, and - most importantly - we know how to build it. Now.” The stated objective is to launch the first ship in 2028. The construction strategy envisages starting with a lead yard, followed by multi-yard construction across several shipyards; units would then be upgraded in successive increments over time to reflect evolving threats and technologies.

However, the LEGEND design will likely require significant modification to fully meet US Navy frigate requirements - raising the risk of repeating the programme drift already experienced with CONSTELLATION. Conversely, minimal or no intervention would leave the US Navy with a platform that is inevitably sub-optimal and underpowered relative to the required mission spectrum.

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