L3Harris Awarded Systems Integration Contract for Constellation (FFG-62) Class Frigate Program

An artist rendering of the U.S. Navy Constellation Class guided-missile frigate FFG 62 (Image: Wikipedia)

L3Harris Technologies has been awarded a contract by Fincantieri Marinette Marine for the shipboard integration and production of major subsystems onboard the U.S. Navy’s Constellation Class guided-missile frigate FFG 62, the company announced Feb.8, 2021.

L3Harris is prepared to support the U.S. Navy’s plans to build at least 10 ships. The value of the L3Harris program could exceed $300 million if all design, development, and production options are awarded.

L3Harris is the largest member of the Fincantieri FFG team and will provide integrated systems that include the electric and propulsion systems, bridge and navigation systems, and aviation integration services. The diversified capabilities that L3Harris delivers on the Constellation-class Frigate program will distribute the power and propulsion needed to meet the U.S. Navy’s mission requirements throughout the world.

Constellation (FFG-62) Class Frigate Program

The U.S. Navy recently awarded a contract to Fincantieri to design and build the FFG, the Navy’s first new build in more than a decade. L3Harris will support Fincantieri at its Marinette, Wisconsin shipyard, where it will build the frigate based on the company’s Italian FREMM multi-mission frigate.

The Constellation (FFG-62) class frigate program, previously known as the FFG(X) program, is a Navy program to build a class of 20 guided-missile frigates (FFGs). Congress funded the procurement of the first FFG-62 class ship in FY2020 at a cost of $1,281.2 million (i.e., about $1.3 billion), and the second FFG-62 class ship in FY2021 at a cost of $1,053.1 million (i.e., about $1.1 billion). The U.S Navy’s FY2021 budget submission estimated that subsequent ships in the class will cost roughly $940 million each in then-year dollars.

ffg 62 constellation class frigate ffgx - naval post- naval news and information
Constellation Class Frigates (FFG 62) Image: L3Harris

Four industry teams competed for the FFG-62 program. On April 30, 2020, the Navy announced that it had awarded the FFG-62 contract to the team led by Fincantieri/Marinette Marine (F/MM) of Marinette, WI. F/MM was awarded a fixed-price incentive (firm target) contract for Detail Design and Construction (DD&C) for up to 10 ships in the program—the lead ship plus nine option ships. The other three industry teams reportedly competing for the program were led by Austal USA of Mobile, AL; General Dynamics/Bath Iron Works (GD/BIW) of Bath, ME; and Huntington Ingalls Industries/Ingalls Shipbuilding (HII/Ingalls) of Pascagoula, MS.

About L3Harris Technologies

L3Harris Technologies is an agile global aerospace and defense technology innovator, delivering end-to-end solutions that meet customers’ mission-critical needs. The company provides advanced defense and commercial technologies across air, land, sea, space and cyber domains. L3Harris has approximately $18 billion in annual revenue and 48,000 employees, with customers in more than 100 countries. L3Harris.com.