Navy Cancels Future Constellation-Class Frigates, Raising Fleet Size Concerns

The US Navy is canceling the last four ships of its Constellation-class guided missile frigates in a “strategic shift, the service secretary announced Tuesday. The frigate program has faced increasing scrutiny over its design issues and the shipbuilding schedule, but the Navy was determined to acquire 20 Constellation frigates, which were crucial to the service’s fleet-size goal. Navy Secretary John Phelan announced the cancellation in a post on X on Tuesday, saying the last four ships ordered for the program would be terminated. Work, he said, will continue on the two vessels currently under construction. In his remarks, Phelan said…