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By Ellie Cook
Senior Defense Reporter
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The U.S. Navy has said it will build a new "agile" class of small warship as part of President Donald Trump's "Golden Fleet."
Why It Matters
Hints first emerged about the White House's plans for a "Golden Fleet" in October, when The Washington Post reported senior U.S. administration and Navy officials were weighing up how to better combat future threats to the U.S.
Read More on U.S.
Trump has framed several of his administration's new initiatives with the term "golden," not least its highly ambitious and incredibly expensive Golden Dome air defense system.
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What To Know
John Phelan, the secretary of the navy, said Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had "signed off on this as part of the Golden Fleet." Trump is thought to have approved the plans in early December.
"Our goal is clear: launch the first hull in the water in 2028," Phelan said.
The new frigate design will be based on the Legend-class national security cutter (NSC) used by the U.S. Coast Guard and built by HII, the largest shipbuilder in the country, the Navy said in a statement.
HII Ingalls Shipbuilding said in its own statement it had been selected to produce the vessel, currently dubbed the FF(X).
The Navy said the ship will be a "smaller, more agile surface combatant designed to complement the fleet’s larger, multi-mission warships and enhance operational flexibility around the globe." It will be "highly adaptable," the military said, able to carry different payloads and command drones for various types of missions.
It will be deployed for more of the routine missions where a large warship is not needed and will be "cost-effective," according to the Navy.
Admiral Daryl Caudle, the chief of naval operations, said in a video released alongside the Navy's announcement that the military had roughly a third of the small surface combatants it needed. The Navy just weeks ago canceled four of the ships for its embattled Constellation-class frigate program.
The U.S. shipbuilding industry has long struggled to meet its laid-out time scales and budgets. The industrial capacity of the U.S, including its shipyards and the backlogs in keeping vessels in working order, is a real concern, retired U.S. Vice Admiral Robert Murrett previously told Newsweek.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office, the congressional watchdog, said earlier this year some shipyards did not have the space to finish the projects the Navy is chasing, or are still working with "aging infrastructure." There are not enough personnel to meet the Navy's demands, the watchdog added.
What People Are Saying
Chris Kastner, the president and chief executive of HII, said in a statement on Friday: "We look forward to supporting the Navy on this critical program."
"The introduction of the FF(X) symbolizes the Navy's 250-year commitment to innovation and maritime dominance," the Navy said.
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