Page 40: of Marine News Magazine (July 2021)

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Vessels

USS Congress (FFG-63)

The Department of Defense announced that the Navy is exercising a $553.8 million option to have Fincantieri

Marinette Marine build the second Constellation-class frigate, to be named USS Congress (FFG-63).

The shipyard is currently working with the Navy on the detailed design phase of building the ? rst-in-class USS

Constellation (FFG-62), a modern guided-missile frig- ate based partially on the Italian FREMM. Fabrication is planned to start at the end of this year, and the ship is expected to deliver to the Navy in 2026.

This contract is the ? rst of nine potential options on future guided-missile frigates for the Wisconsin shipyard.

Fincantieri Marinette Marine received the initial FFG(X) contract April 30, 2020, for the lead ship and options for nine additional ships valued at $5.5 billion.

Fincantieri Marinette Marine

New River Cruise Ships

U.S.-based river and coastal cruise operator

American Cruise Lines has signed contracts with Chesapeake Shipbuilding of Salisbury,

Md., to build two more modern riverboats in 2022. The 175-passenger newbuilds will be the ? fth and sixth in American Cruise Lines revolutionary modern series, ? rst introduced in 2018. Both vessels are yet to be named and will follow the 2021 debuts of American Jazz and

American Melody on the Mississippi River.

American Cruise Lines has more than dou- bled in size since 2017. Including the two newbuilds announced, American’s ? eet has grown to 15 ships, including ? ve small cruise ships, four classic paddlewheelers and six mod- ern riverboats. In addition to the line’s newest modern riverboats, American also plans to continue building new small cruise ships for their popular U.S. coastal itineraries.

American Cruise Lines 40 | MN July 2021