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The Navy's new Constellation-class frigate is already hundreds of tons overweight, and it's not even finished
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According to a report from the Government Accountability Office, the lead ship in the Constellation-class has packed on 759 metric tons more than planned
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That's a 13% increase, raising serious concerns about speed, stability, and long-term performance at sea
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These frigates were meant to fill the gap between small coastal ships and full-size destroyers, fast, flexible, and built with room for future tech
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So far, the Navy has ordered six of the frigates, from FFG-62 through FFG-67, and plans to build at least 20
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But the lead ship, the USS Constellation, is still under construction in Wisconsin and only about 10% complete
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The livery has already slipped from 2026 to 2029 and the price tag grown from billion to roughly billion for each ship
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Originally, the Navy aimed to adapt the European Fram Frigate, keeping 85% of the original design
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but now only 15% remains unchanged. Most of the added features come from the Navy
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and those changes help drive up the weight. The Constellation-class frigate will be three years late and will take nearly 10 years to deliver the lead ship
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This is largely because the Navy cannot keep its requirements steady. Almost 70% of the requirements have changed since the Navy signed a contract
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Congress pressed pause on future orders of the frigates until the Navy can stabilize the design and the scale
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But some lawmakers say it may be time to reconsider the program altogether
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