![]() ![]() A single Mk 110 57 mm gun will be on the bow, and a Mk 49 guided-missile launcher with 21 Rolling Airframe missiles will be near the stern. They are also planned to carry 16 NSM anti-ship missiles in four quad-tube over-the-horizon launch systems. Their weaponry is set to include 32 Mark 41 vertical-launch cells for RIM-162 Evolved SeaSparrow missiles and SM-2 Block IIIC surface-to-air missiles. According to current plans, they are also set to be capable of electronic-warfare operations. They're meant to be able to operate in open ocean and in near-shore zones and be capable of antiair, anti-submarine, and anti-surface warfare. The modifications give Constellation-class frigates a length of 496 feet, a full displacement of 7,291 tons, and a crew of 200. The original FREMM propeller was replaced with a fixed-pitch propeller for better acoustic performance, and the topside was modified to accommodate US Navy systems and hardware. The sonar dome and enclosure deck were removed to increase stability. The hull was extended by 23.6 feet to allow for larger generators and upgrades. Though based on Fincantieri's FREMM-class multipurpose frigate - a French-Italian design in service with France, Italy, Egypt, and Morocco - it has several differences from its European forebear. The Constellation-class design was selected for the Navy's FFG(X) program in 2020. (The 355-ship goal was announced in December 2016, and proposals for a different fleet size and composition are now circulating.) The Constellation classĪn artist's rendering of the FFG(X). The Navy's goal for fleet size is 355 manned warships, of which 104 are set to be "large surface combatants," mostly destroyers, and 52 "small surface combatants," of which 20 are planned to be frigates. Frigates can be built faster and cheaper than destroyers, however, and the US Navy hopes Constellation-class ships will boost its overall numbers, while still bringing needed capabilities. Today, in terms of size and armament, frigates generally rank below destroyers, which are the frontline surface warships in most navies. Though not intended to operate alone against enemy capital ships, frigates are now primarily used to support destroyer squadrons and carrier battle groups by performing escort, anti-submarine, antiair, and limited anti-surface missions. With the invention of guided missiles during the Cold War, their missions expanded to include antiair and some anti-surface operations. It wasn't until World War II that the classification was applied again to small, seagoing ships that were larger than corvettes but smaller than destroyers.ĭuring that war, frigates were largely tasked with escort missions, mostly in the anti-submarine role. They were generally built for speed and maneuverability and carried lighter armament.Īs armored, steam-powered warships arrived in large numbers in the late 19th century, frigates became a thing of the past. ![]() US Navyĭuring the Age of Sail, frigates made up the bulk of most navies. The US Navy's first-in-class frigate USS Oliver Hazard Perry in 1977. ![]()
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