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service life of the ship. Some of those could lead to direct The Navy sees the new FFG as a ? exible platform for inde- energy type projects and other capability.” pendent operations, convoy escort or strike group integration.

The Navy’s current force plan calls for 52 small combat- ants, made up of the 32 littoral combat ships and 20 of the Risk reduction new FFGs. After ? ts and starts with truly transformational warships—

The Navy estimates the cost per ship at about $870 mil- namely the Ford-class aircraft carrier, Zumwalt-class guided lion. The Congressional Budget Of? ce said that estimate may missile destroyers and the Freedom and Independence classes be low. “Compared with the design on which it is based, the of littoral combat ships—the U.S. Navy’s next class of surface

FFG(X) will be more densely built and will have somewhat combatant will hopefully have less risk.

more complex weapon systems.” At the same time, the Navy is completing its buy of LCS,

The lead ship is planned for delivery to the Navy in around and the Flight IIA DDG 51 Arleigh Burke-class of guided mis- 2026. The ? rst 12 FFGs will be assigned to Everett, Wash., sile destroyers. The next generation of DDG 51s – the more along with the training and support infrastructure concen- advanced Flight IIIs – have begun production, and will serve trated there. Eventually the FFGs will have Blue and Gold as a bridge between the retirement of the CG 47 Ticonderoga

Crews, with 24 crews based at Everett, but the lead ship will class of guided missile cruisers and the arrival of the yet-to-be be initially manned with a single crew. fully de? ned but probably pretty transformational large sur-

The Italian FREMMs are classi? ed as either general pur- face combatant. The Navy simply can’t afford to have a pro- pose or ASW. There are differences in weapons and sensors. gram beset by delays while things settle down and it ? gures

The GP variant has a bigger gun, while the ASW variant has a out the technology out, so its counting on a smooth introduc- towed acoustic array, for example. tion of the frigate into the ? eet.

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