Our Navy's Stupid Mistakes

Frigates Another F bomb?

U.S. Navy Awards Guided Missile Frigates Contract to Fincantieri’s Marinette Marine Corporation

April 30, 2020 by Mike Schuler


The U.S. Navy has awarded Marinette Marine Corporation with the detail design and construction contract for up to 10 Guided Missile Frigates.

The initial contract covers one base ship for $795 million and up to nine additional ships which could bring the total value to more than $5.5 billion if all options are exercised.

The Guided Missile Frigates will be the Navy’s newest class of warships, with multi-mission capability to conduct air warfare, anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, electronic warfare, and information operations.


“The Navy’s Guided-Missile Frigate (FFG(X)) will be an important part of our future fleet,” said Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Mike Gilday. “FFG(X) is the evolution of the Navy’s Small Surface Combatant with increased lethality, survivability, and improved capability to support the National Defense Strategy across the full range of military operations. It will no doubt help us conduct distributed maritime operations more effectively, and improve our ability to fight both in contested blue-water and littoral environments.”

The acquisition process for the frigates was launched in 2017. It launched the detail design and construction Request for Proposals last June with technical proposals received in August and cost proposals were received in September. Competitors for the contract included Huntington Ingalls Industries, a team consisting of General Dynamics and Spain’s Navantia, and Austal.

Marinette Marine Corporation of Marinette, Wisconsin is a subsidiary of Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri.

Marinette Marine Corporation of Marinette, Wisconsin is a subsidiary of Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri.

Years ago, only the U S built U S ships with U S equipment.
Could this be any of our U S Navy problems?

I understood then that in time of failures parts and support was all in our hands.
I'm sure security was of thought also.

Were ars now, witnessing failures of important components that make the ship move at all.
Where is the technology, repair parts and support on these items coming from?

The LCS and these Dumbwalt tubs are an enemies best friend. We will go broke keeping them mobile before we can even arm them.

Oh, lets build another class of NATO or Joint floaters.

Fancy weapons may be real cool but if you can not deploy it's platform quickly and %100 reliably, then it is a waste of time, money and endangers lives.

The LCS have transmission issues and the first 3 ships suffered from this. Including the first one already deployed in west pac.
Took two repairs for a Dumbwalt to clear the Panama Canal.
I understood this was foreign built issues.
Some story, long ago, suspected sabotage but was never followed up on. Hence my security point also.

I'm an US Army brat. Very Very big fan of the US Navy.
Anybody with heart large enough to serve, deserves the best.

Also Don't need poor & expensive platforms built just to keep a congressman's area happy.

I just want the service folks to have the best rite out of our factory, first time every time. Their lives depend on this.

My security comment was for in house issues.
Notes in Italy, the boat yard and in many other hands contributing to design and remote mfg in between.
Just to many people have access to designs of things.

Ahh, Err, Uhh,,, The higher up officers go into the private sector every day. Holly-Wood wrote the scripts.
Lower officers and crew may be happy to get a new ship, Their excitement will long be a memory when they are targeted as they drift off shore or thru a canal.

I could be just beating my chest poorly, I just want the best for those that serve.
I don't need a perfect lawn at some politicians house.
I don't need to employ people building a false project that does not work better than what we had.
Check #34 above.

I did not know the fire systems were down.
There are some comments and more pictures in G-Captain.
Lower machine spaces are fine. Helos are dumping water on the deck to keep the flight deck from buckeling.
Looked like the whole forward tower and all the upper hangar deck was aflame. What the heck is burning? Fresh paint?
Forward radar mast has fallen, Geeezze.

Makes me think; 4 days later and this is still out of control.
In 1945, larger ship fires were put out with torpedo holes in the side, bomb holes in the deck, before halon, under way, middle of an ocean and in hours. Oh, enemy plains still in the above air. Bless them.

Intriguing question.

You are talking of a yard based in Wisconsin, ran by American engineers and workers, which pretty sure fits as much US components as technically possible - possibly aside from some bits which they must source from PRC, because that's where someone in the US who used to make them moved the production, in order to save some bucks.
And you don't like that because it's a subsidiary of one of the most respected shipbuilders on this planet, who just happens to be based in Italy?
By the same token, you must think that Boeing is a fantastic company because it's headquartered in the US, rather than a bunch of "clown designers supervised by monkeys", I suppose.
NOT my definition by the way - that's also a genuine US product, as you surely know.

You might as well consider the possibility that the very simple answer to your question is NO, methink.