Five consortiums have been awarded US$15 million concept design contracts for the US Navy's 52-ship FFG(X) program, with a winning the design to be selected in 16 months.
Austal USA, Lockheed Martin, Fincantieri, Navantia/Bath Iron Works, and Huntington Ingalls will all submit designs. Austal and Lockheed Martin are expected to pitch theirs based on the Independence and Freedom class Littoral Combat Ships currently being delivered to the US Navy.
Fincantieri Marinette Marine will be submitting a deign based on the Italian FREMM currently in contention for Australia's Sea 5000 Future Frigate program. The Italian shipbuilder is also aligned with Lockheed Martin to build its design if selected.
Fincantieri Marinette Marine has teamed with Gibbs & Cox and Trident Maritime Systems to evolve FREMM to US design standards. According to an official release, the wholly American team will develop a ship design, which, in case of award of the tender, would be built at Fincantieri shipyards in the US, where, "over the past 9 years the company has developed a highly skilled workforce, a strong supply chain and expertise in building ships to US Navy standards".
Commenting on the announcement, Dario Deste, Chairman of Fincantieri Australia said: “The decision by the US Navy to down-select Fincantieri for the next generation frigate of the FFG(X) program, reinforces the organisation’s strength in design excellence and our experience in working in partnership with sovereign navies, to build world-class vessels.”
Huntington Ingalls is offering a version of the US Coast Guard’s National Security Cutter and Navantia/Bath Iron Works will offer a design likely to be similar to the F-5000 design offered by Navantia for Sea 5000.
Austal CEO David Singleton said the conceptual design effort will inform the final specifications that will be used for the detail design and construction request for proposal that will deliver the required capability for FFG(X).
“Our design team in Mobile will be leading the work on the Austal Frigate, and I have every confidence that they will excel in delivering the next generation frigate design to support the United States Navy.”
In addition to the Independence class LCS ships being delivered to the USN, Austal USA is also building the Spearhead Class Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF).