The US Navy has announced a plan to introduce the FF(X), a new class of small surface combatant ships. The navy stated this class is designed to be more agile than current platforms and will complement larger multi-mission warships.
The design will be based on the HII Ingalls Shipbuilding Legend-class national security cutter.
The project aims to launch the first hull in 2028. The navy will use a lead yard and a competitive follow-on strategy to expand production capacity across the maritime industrial base.
The FF(X) is intended for surface warfare and will have the capacity to carry modular payloads and operate unmanned systems.
The navy said this design approach is expected to allow it to take on routine operations with increased flexibility. The project seeks to reduce costs and technical risks by using an existing production baseline.
HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division has been selected to design and build the future small surface combatant. The shipbuilder will use the same sequence of construction employed for the previous cutter hulls.
This work will take place alongside current production lines for destroyers and amphibious ships.
The company noted it has delivered ten Legend-class national security cutters to the US Coast Guard, with the final vessel completed in October 2023.