U.S. weighs South Korean, Japanese and Turkish frigate designs for new class

The White House and the U.S. Navy are currently assessing frigate designs from three allied nations to inform a new class of warships. Candidates include South Korea's Chungnam-class guided-missile frigate, Japan's export version of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' Mogami-class, and Turkey's Istanbul-class built by multiple shipyards. Under a newly signed national security memorandum, up to two of the ships could be constructed in the foreign shipyards before subsequent vessels move to domestic facilities.

Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao has tasked William Mahan with overseeing a study that will also examine other vessel types, with findings due on November 12, 2026. South Korea is already producing six Chungnam-class ships, with the lead built by Hyundai Heavy Industries and the remainder split between SK Oceanplant and Hanwha Ocean, and has committed $150 billion toward U.S. shipbuilding under a broader $350 billion bilateral investment agreement.