U.S. Navy awards $536 million frigate contract to Marinette shipyard

Rick Barrett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·2 min read
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The U.S. Navy has awarded a $536 million contract to a Marinette shipyard for a third Constellation-class frigate tied to a $5.5 billion shipbuilding program.

Fincantieri Marinette Marine will design and build the 7,300-ton frigate that’s expected to be a key part of the Navy’s anti-submarine warfare and one of 10 frigates built in Marinette. The work will support thousands of jobs at the shipyard for many years to come.

The Navy also says it could transfer decommissioned littoral combat ships built in Marinette to other countries.

Ultimately, it’s up to Congress to decide whether the ships are pulled from active service. Still, last fall, USS Freedom, a $537 million littoral combat ship commissioned in Milwaukee in 2008, was sent to the mothball fleet well ahead of its expected 25-year lifespan.

Altogether, the Navy has said it wants to decommission nine of its Freedom-class littoral combat ships following years of disappointing results and unfulfilled expectations.

Critics said the first ships, especially, lacked firepower and armor, making them vulnerable should they come up against larger enemy warships from China or Russia. They were also dogged with mechanical problems and breakdowns at sea.

“The LCS isn’t really doing the mission it was intended for,” said Shelby Oakley, who oversees the Government Accountability Office’s research on Navy shipbuilding.

Other countries, including Turkey, Bahrain, and Poland, have received U.S. Navy ships after they’ve been decommissioned and pulled from service. Earlier this week, the Navy suggested the littoral combat ships could be sent to navies in South America to counter drug smuggling operations.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Marinette Marine will build third Navy frigate for $536 million