The U.S. Navy is reducing the number of frigate warships that are being produced in Wisconsin from six to two.
Navy Secretary John Phelan announced in a Nov. 25 social media post that the service will cancel the final four ships planned for the Constellation-class frigate program, retaining only the two vessels currently under construction.
A new “framework,” Phelan said, “puts the Navy on a path to more rapidly construct new classes of ships and deliver the capability our war fighters need in greater numbers and on a more urgent timeline. This is an imperative, and I hope to have more to share very soon.”
Fincantieri Marinette Marine, the Wisconsin-based subsidiary of an Italy-based defense contractor, was contracted to build the vessels in Marinette, Green Bay and Sturgeon Bay.
In 2020, the company won the initial design and construction contract for the vessels. Since then, the $22 billion program has been scrutinized by lawmakers and top defense officials.
Near the end of his first term, President Donald Trump touted the program, saying the ships were the “most beautiful.” He reminded the audience at Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum during the 2024 Republican National Convention that the deal would bring jobs to Wisconsin.
“It was a big contract that everybody wanted,” Trump said. “I gave it to Wisconsin, but we’re going to have a lot of that built right here in the state of Wisconsin and all other states.”
But earlier this year, Trump criticized the program due to its increasing cost and for being behind schedule. In April 2024, the Navy revealed that the first frigate — whose construction began in 2022 — was expected to be delivered three years behind its contracted April 2026 deadline, largely due to challenges in hiring an experienced workforce.
Fincantieri is building the first two ships in the class, Constellation (FFG-62) and Congress (FFG-63), and Phelan said construction on those vessels will continue. According to a 2024 Government Accountability Office report, the first ship is now expected to be delivered to the Navy in 2029.
A spokesperson for Fincantieri didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) released a statement denouncing the move, saying it’s a “blow” to Wisconsin workers and for the country’s ability to compete with China.
“I take great pride in representing Wisconsin’s shipbuilding industry in Washington because our workers have helped keep America safe for generations,” Baldwin said. “And today’s news is a blow to that legacy, a blow to our national security, and a blow to our Made in Wisconsin economy. The frigate program is held up by the thousands of skilled Wisconsin workers, and the administration’s decision pulls the rug out from under them and puts their livelihoods at risk.
“I call on the administration to immediately share its shipbuilding action plan for supporting Wisconsin workers.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: U.S. Navy reducing number of warships being built in Wisconsin from six to two
Reporting by Drake Bentley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
