President Donald Trump vowed to bring manufacturing back to America, and jobs, and this next project to build a Golden Fleet of ships for the Navy does just that and more.
In a post on Friday on X, Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan announced the construction of a new Frigate class built in the U.S., with a launch of the first hull in the water in 2028.
I have directed a new Frigate class as part of @POTUS Golden Fleet. Built on a proven American design, in American shipyards, with an American supply chain, this effort is focused on one outcome: delivering combat power to the Fleet fast. pic.twitter.com/ovnASiHYaF
— Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan (@SECNAV) December 19, 2025
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“I have directed a new Frigate class as part of President Trump’s Golden Fleet,” Phelan said. “Built on a proven American design, in American shipyards, with an American supply chain, this effort is focused on one outcome: delivering combat power to the Fleet fast.”
Included in the post was a video of Phelan discussing the construction.
“We will deliver on a wartime footing, and we will unleash the American industrial base to do it,” the Sec. of the Navy said. “Competition. Accountability. And real output. Steel in the water.”
“To deliver at speed and scale, I have directed the acquisition of a new Frigate Class based on HII’s Legend Class National Security Cutter design,” he added. “A proven American-built ship that has been protecting U.S. interests at home and abroad.
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Darryl Caudle pointed to the recent activity in the Caribbean with the narco-terrorist strikes to stop the flow of deadly drugs into our country.
“Recent operations from the Red Sea to the Caribbean make the requirement undeniable,” Caudle said. “Our small surface combatant inventory is a third of what we need. We need more capable blue water small combatants to close the gap.”
“And keep our DDGs [Guided Missile Destroyers] focused on the high-end fight,” he added.
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Caudle explained that the military used the Arleigh-Burke class destroyers, "building it smart from the start.”
“Then upgrading it in steps over time as the threat and technology evolve,” he added. “We’ve also been clear-eyed about what happens in conflict. Other countries will always prioritize their own fleets, not U.S. ships that depend on foreign industry.”
“That’s why this is an American design,” Caudle continued. “Backed by American workers. American suppliers. And an established logistics and maintenance network. So, wherever this ship sails, when the American flag goes into port, it does so with American industry firmly behind it.”
Phelan said the ships will be made across multiple shipyards, with one outcome “delivering combat power to the fleet as fast as possible.”
The previous Constellation-frigate class was troubled, so two of the ships that were already being built will continue. The remaining four were canceled and are being replaced by this new class.
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