No. of Recommendations: 1
The Navy is announcing they're pivoting from the Fremm no-op to the
Legend class of frigates that are already being built for the Coast Guard:
https://x.com/SECNAV/status/2001991255211807129?re...Their goal is to have the 1st one in the water in 2028 followed by many more.
Good. The Perry class frigates of the 1980s were very capable ships and we've been missing that for some time.
No. of Recommendations: 1
Yes, the Constellation class was having serious developmental problems, and cost overruns. The Fremm (a European design) was actually a very successful light frigate, but US requirements to adapt it to our navy were proving too much for it.
I'll be curious to dig a bit deeper into this.
No. of Recommendations: 3
Problem is, the moment that anyone tries to "modify", "modernize", or "improve" anything these days, the program becomes a cluster.
Remember when the Coast Guard tried to "modify", "modernize" and "improve" the Island class cutters, some years ago? The program included lengthening the hull and installing new equipment. Not only was a lot of the equipment installed substandard, when the modified cutters went to sea, the modified hulls started to buckle. The Coasties had to write off all 8 cutters that had been modified.
Lockheed tried to adopt the existing, successful, AW-101. for a new fleet of Presidential helos. Another mudstorm of cost and schedule overruns, so severe, the program was cancelled. What Lockheed had managed to bang together, was sold to Canada, as spare parts for their AW-101 SAR fleet.
And so it goes, with DoD/WD procurement.
Steve
