In what may initially appear to be negative news, the US House Armed Services Committee (HASC) has marked up the NDAA 2025 to remove the $1,17B requested by the USN for procurement of the seventh Constellation Class Frigate, in favour of allocating additional funding to increase from 1 to 2 the number of Virginia Class Submarines procured during FY2025. This is in part to ensure that production can be met for Australia's needs. The HASC cited the delays of 3 years out of FMM for the production of the first hull in its reasoning.
https://news.usni.org/2024/05/13/hasc-chairmans-mark-authorizes-second-virginia-class-submarine-cuts-1b-from-delayed-frigate-program
Upon reflection, I personally think that this is good news for Austal to be awarded the contract to become the second yard building FFG-62 Constellation Frigates. The HASC clearly has a dim view of FMM as the sole producer of Constellations considering the delays, and this news simply means that the 2 frigates procured (but contracts not yet awarded) during FY2024, are what they think the defence industrial base can produce based on current settings. The award of another Virginia class also means that Huntington Ingalls Industries are likely to be busier with producing submarines such that the USN won't wish to burden them with awarding the frigate second yard contract to HII. HII were the only real competitor for this contract, with Bath Iron Works likely to be looked over.
I am still hopeful of one (and an outside chance of two, i.e. the fifth and sixth procurements) Frigate contract(s) being awarded to Austal before the end of FY2024, presumably with contract options for the USN to acquire up to a total of 10 out of the Mobile yard. If the HASC mark up of NDAA2025 stands through the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), I hold hope that NDAA2026 will include procurement for 2 frigates in that year and hopefully by then Austal has a demonstrated track record of producing steel hulls to impress the USN.
NFA / DYOR
In what may initially appear to be negative news, the US House...
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