U.S. Navy’s Frigate Gap Persists as New Ship Programs Stall

The U.S. Navy’s surface fleet has been without a dedicated frigate since the retirement of the final Oliver Hazard Perry-class ship in September 2015. Those vessels once handled convoy escort, anti-submarine warfare, and maritime security, allowing more capable destroyers to focus on high-end threats. After the Cold War, the Navy shifted to the littoral combat ship, hoping its modular design would cover multiple roles, but the LCS suffered reliability problems, limited armament, and slow mission-module swaps, earning a reputation as a costly flop.

Anticipating the shortfall, the service pursued the Constellation-class frigate, modeled on the FREMM, but construction delays and design changes led to its cancellation in November 2025, leaving only two hulls unfinished. The Navy now plans to order roughly 50 FF(X) frigates, derived from the Coast Guard’s National Security Cutter, with deliveries expected from 2028 onward. In the interim, Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are forced to undertake low-intensity tasks such as anti-piracy and escort duties, consuming valuable hull life and maintenance capacity. The absence of a true frigate platform widens a capability gap at a time when great-power rivalry demands versatile mid-size warships.