US Navy awards HII contract for first FF(X) frigate

The US Navy awarded HII a contract for the first FF(X), based on the design of the US Coast Guard National Security Cutter Shown here. (Northrop Grumman)

The US Navy (USN) awarded HII's Ingalls Shipbuilding unit of Pascagoula, Mississippi, a USD282.9 million cost-plus-award-fee contract for FF(X) class frigate lead yard support for the first ship of the new class, the Pentagon confirmed on 28 April.

Total contract award is slated to be completed by April 2028, the Pentagon said.

Fiscal year (FY) 2026 USN shipbuilding and conversion funds in the amount of USD59.1 million and fiscal FY 2026 USN research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) funds in the amount of USD21.5 million will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year, the Pentagon said, adding that the contract was not competitively procured.

“Under this contract, Ingalls Shipbuilding will begin cutting and shaping raw material to support future phases of work on the main structure foundation and the overall construction sequencing plan of the first frigate,” HII said in statement on 28 April. “This new approach will enable a smooth transition from design to production at Ingalls Shipbuilding and eventually across the industrial base.”

The FY 2027 USN budget request, submitted to Congress on 21 April, includes funding for the lead-ship FF(X), which is based on the US Coast Guard (USCG) Legend-class National Security Cutter (NSC).

The FY 2027 request includes USD1.4 billion to fully fund the first ship and another USD212 million for RDT&E, budget documents show. The USN intends to procure a total of four FF(X)s across the future years defense programme, according to the documents.