US Navy considers South Korean, Turkish and Japanese designs for its new frigate

Following the failure of the Constellation frigate programme, the US Navy is considering alternatives for a new frigate that would take on capabilities currently handled by larger vessels. The designs being examined include options from South Korea, Turkey and Japan.

Washington considers allied designs

The White House and the US Navy are assessing whether foreign designs could be incorporated into the new frigate programme. The proposal is intended to speed up the introduction of ships while expanding US naval industrial capacity.

The initiative could involve building as many as two initial vessels at overseas shipyards. Production would subsequently move to US facilities. Such an approach would end more than a century of warship construction being carried out solely on US territory, raising the question of whether the United States genuinely has the capacity to produce viable, operational designs. The US Navy remains among the world’s largest forces in both quantitative and qualitative terms, but this situation could mark a shift in the dynamics of US naval development.

The designs under consideration include the export version of Japan’s Mogami-class FFM frigate, South Korea’s Chungnam-class frigate and Turkey’s Istanbul-class frigate. All three platforms were developed for combat missions and have variants intended for international markets.

The option of building vessels outside the United States emerged after a White House memorandum issued in August. The document allowed the Department of Defense to assess foreign designs through an exemption linked to national security interests. This measure would make it possible to bypass legal restrictions on acquiring warships built in other countries.

The cancellation of the Constellation class

The immediate background to the new initiative is the cancellation of the Constellation-class frigate programme in late 2025. The Navy made that decision after delays and cost increases accumulated, disrupting the planned timetable for bringing the first ships into service.

The service later announced that it would pursue the FF(X) programme, initially based on the design of the Coast Guard’s Legend-class cutters. Ingalls Shipbuilding, owned by HII, was selected to progress this alternative, although it has not yet been awarded a contract to construct the first vessel.

However, the new international assessment could alter that initial plan. According to available information, the Navy is reviewing several options to accelerate frigate development and draw on industrial capabilities already available among allied countries.

This interest also reflects an operational requirement within the US fleet. Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are regularly assigned tasks that could be performed by smaller vessels, while the new frigate would allow those destroyers to be retained for more demanding missions. Rear Admiral Brian Metcalf stated that the frigate could operate in less contested waters and escort high-value units.

The construction model and congressional restrictions

The arrangement being considered resembles the so-called “Finland model”. Under this formula, the first vessels would begin production at a foreign shipyard before construction moved to the United States, alongside investment and the transfer of industrial capabilities.

The concept has support within the US administration, although it faces political obstacles. The Senate and the House of Representatives have considered restricting the White House’s authority to approve the construction of US warships in overseas shipyards.

For now, the Navy must complete a study of international designs and other naval platforms by 12 November 2026. In the meantime, US representatives have visited shipyards in South Korea, including a recent tour by officials of HD Hyundai and Hanwha Ocean facilities.

The outcome of this process will determine whether Washington continues developing its future frigate on a US basis or adopts a foreign design. The decision will also establish the extent of the role played by shipyards in South Korea, Japan and Turkey in renewing the US Navy’s surface fleet.