How far will the US Navy’s FF(X) design deviate from the Legend-class?
There are 10 Legend-class vessels currently in service with the USCG. (Photo: PO 3rd Class Mark Barney/USCG)
The new frigate class’s focus on modularity, speed to build and enhanced armament align with the priorities of the US Navy’s Golden Fleet.
The US Navy’s new frigate class, FF(X), was announced at the end of 2025 less than a month after the US revealed it was walking away from its FFG(X) Constellation-class effort due to multiple construction delays and cost overruns.
While two of the planned six vessels in the Constellation programme are set to still be accepted by the service, the remaining four under contract have been cancelled – paving the way for a strategic change in direction towards a more agile option in the new FF(X) design.
Set to be built by Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), the FF(X) could
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